The Fall of the House of Usher 1.docx

The Fall of the House of Usher 1.docx

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TheFalloftheHouseofUsher1

Duringthewholeofadull,dark,andsoundlessdayintheautumnoftheyear,whenthecloudshungoppressivelylowintheheavens,Ihadbeenpassingalone,onhorseback,throughasingularlydrearytractofcountry;andatlengthfoundmyself,astheshadesoftheeveningdrewon,withinviewofthemelancholyHouseofUsher.Iknownothowitwas--but,withthefirstglimpseofthebuilding,asenseofinsufferablegloompervadedmyspirit.Isayinsufferable;forthefeelingwasunrelievedbyanyofthathalf-pleasurable,becausepoetic,sentiment,withwhichthemindusuallyreceiveseventhesternestnaturalimagesofthedesolateorterrible.Ilookeduponthescenebeforeme--uponthemerehouse,andthesimplelandscapefeaturesofthedomain--uponthebleakwalls--uponthevacanteye-likewindows--uponafewranksedges--anduponafewwhitetrunksofdecayedtrees--withanutterdepressionofsoulwhichIcancomparetonoearthlysensationmoreproperlythantotheafter-dreamoftherevelleruponopium--thebitterlapseintoeverydaylife-thehideousdroppingoffoftherevelleruponopium--thebitterlapseintoeverydaylife--thehideousdroppingoffoftheveil.Therewasaniciness,asinking,asickeningoftheheart--anunredeemeddrearinessofthoughtwhichnogoadingoftheimaginationcouldtortureintoaughtofthesublime.Whatwasit--Ipausedtothink--whatwasitthatsounnervedmeinthecontemplationoftheHouseofUsher?

Itwasamysteryallinsoluble;norcouldIgrapplewiththeshadowyfanciesthatcrowdeduponmeasIpondered.Iwasforcedtofallbackupontheunsatisfactoryconclusion,thatwhile,beyonddoubt,therearecombinationsofverysimplenaturalobjectswhichhavethepowerofthusaffectingus,stilltheanalysisofthispowerliesamongconsiderationsbeyondourdepth.Itwaspossible,Ireflected,thatameredifferentarrangementoftheparticularsofthescene,ofthedetailsofthepicture,wouldbesufficienttomodify,orperhapstoannihilateitscapacityforsorrowfulimpression;and,actinguponthisidea,Ireinedmyhorsetotheprecipitousbrinkofablackandluridtarnthatlayinunruffledlustrebythedwelling,andgazeddown--butwithashudderevenmorethrillingthanbefore--upontheremodelledandinvertedimagesofthegraysedge,andtheghastlytree-stems,andthevacantandeye-likewindows.

Nevertheless,inthismansionofgloomInowproposedtomyselfasojournofsomeweeks.Itsproprietor,RoderickUsher,hadbeenoneofmybooncompanionsinboyhood;butmanyyearshadelapsedsinceourlastmeeting.Aletter,however,hadlatelyreachedmeinadistantpartofthecountry--aletterfromhim--which,initswildlyimportunatenature,hadadmittedofnootherthanapersonalreply.TheMS.gaveevidenceofnervousagitation.Thewriterspokeofacutebodilyillness--ofamentaldisorderwhichoppressedhim--andofanearnestdesiretoseeme,ashisbest,andindeedhisonlypersonalfriend,withaviewofattempting,bythecheerfulnessofmysociety,somealleviationofhismalady.Itwasthemannerinwhichallthis,andmuchmore,wassaid--ittheapparentheartthatwentwithhisrequest--whichallowedmenoroomforhesitation;andIaccordinglyobeyedforthwithwhatIstillconsideredaverysingularsummons.

Although,asboys,wehadbeenevenintimateassociates,yetreallyknewlittleofmyfriend.Hisreservehadbeenalwaysexcessiveandhabitual.Iwasaware,however,thathisveryancientfamilyhadbeennoted,timeoutofmind,forapeculiarsensibilityoftemperament,displayingitself,throughlongages,inmanyworksofexaltedart,andmanifested,oflate,inrepeateddeedsofmunificentyetunobtrusivecharity,aswellasinapassionatedevotiontotheintricacies,perhapsevenmorethantotheorthodoxandeasilyrecognisablebeauties,ofmusicalscience.Ihadlearned,too,theveryremarkablefact,thatthestemoftheUsherrace,alltime-honouredasitwas,hadputforth,atnoperiod,anyenduringbranch;inotherwords,thattheentirefamilylayinthedirectlineofdescent,andhadalways,withverytriflingandverytemporaryvariation,solain.Itwasthisdeficiency,Iconsidered,whilerunningoverinthoughttheperfectkeepingofthecharacterofthepremiseswiththeaccreditedcharacterofthepeople,andwhilespeculatinguponthepossibleinfluencewhichtheone,inthelonglapseofcenturies,mighthaveexercisedupontheother--itwasthisdeficiency,perhaps,ofcollateralissue,andtheconsequentundeviatingtransmission,fromsiretoson,ofthepatrimonywiththename,whichhad,atlength,soidentifiedthetwoastomergetheoriginaltitleoftheestateinthequaintandequivocalappellationofthe"HouseofUsher"--anappellationwhichseemedtoinclude,inthemindsofthepeasantrywhousedit,boththefamilyandthefamil