第74部分(第1/7 页)

Years　afterwards　another　dream　about　an　animal　came　to　me　which　I　embodied　in　the　story　called　“The　Mahatma　and　the　Hare；”　a　little　book　that；　up　to　the　present；　has　no　great　public　vogue。　Largely　this　is　because　so　many　of　the　papers　neglected　it　as　though　it　were　something　improper。　Their　reason　was；　I　think；　that　they　feared　to　give　offence　to　that　great　section　of　their　readers　who；　directly　or　indirectly；　are　interested　in　sport；　by　extended　notices　of　a　parable　which　doubtless　in　its　essence　amounts　to　an　attack　upon　our　habit　of　killing　other　creatures　for　amusement。　I　hope；　however；　that　its　day　may　e；　though　perhaps　not　yet。

As　I　am　touching　on　mystical　subjects；　probably　for　the　last　time；　I　will　instance　here　a　series　of　imaginings　which　developed　themselves　in　my　mind　at　intervals　over　a　period　of　several　months　early　in　the　present　year。　I　noted　them　down　at　the　time　and；　except　for　an　addendum　to　No。　4；　give　them　without　alteration；　as　I　think　it　best　not　to　interfere　with　the　original　words；　on　which；　perhaps　unconsciously；　I　might　attempt　to　improve。　Indeed　it　would　be　easy　to　make　a　story　out　of　each　of　these　mind…pictures。　At　the　head　of　them　I　have　stated　the　alternative　explanations　which　occur　to　me。　Personally　I　favour　—　indeed　I　might　almost　say　that　I　accept　—　the　last。

Only　then　the　question　will　arise　as　to　whether　it　is　possible　for　us　to　imagine　anything　that　has　not；　somewhere　in　this　great　universe　whereof　we　only　know　the　fringe；　an　actual　counterpart；　perhaps　very　distorted；　of　some　unseen　truth？　However　far　we　throw　out　our　mental　hands；　can　they　close　on　anything　which　is　not　in　its　essence　a　fact；　or　the　reflection　of　a　fact？　Are　we　not　walled　in　by　facts；　and　is　it　within　our　scope　to　travel　one　inch　beyond　that　wall