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Sunday (of which I kept count in my pocket-book), except chants and hymn
tunes; of these I regret to say that I had forgotten the words, so that I
could only sing the tune. They appeared to have little or no religious
feeling, and to have never so much as heard of the divine institution of
the Sabbath, so they ascribed my observance of it to a fit of sulkiness,
which they remarked as coming over me upon every seventh day. But they
were very tolerant, and one of them said to me quite kindly that she knew
how impossible it was to help being sulky at times, only she thought I
ought to see some one if it became more serious--a piece of advice which
I then failed to understand, though I pretended to take it quite as a
matter of course.

Once only did Yram treat me in a way that was unkind and unreasonable,--at
least so I thought it at the time. It happened thus. I had been playing
fives in the garden and got much heated. Although the day was cold, for
autumn was now advancing, and Cold Harbour (as the name of the town in
which my prison was should be translated) stood fully 3000 feet above the
sea, I had played without my coat and waistcoat, and took a sharp chill
on resting myself too long in the open air without protection. The next
day I had a severe cold and felt really poorly. Being little used even
to the lightest ailments, and thinking that it would be rather nice to be
petted and cossetted by Yram, I certainly did not make myself out to be
any better than I was; in fact, I remember that I made the worst of
things, and took it into my head to consider myself upon the sick list.
When Yram brought me my breakfast I complained somewhat dolefully of my
indisposition, expecting the sympathy and humouring which I should have
received from my mother and sisters at home. Not a bit of it. She fired
up in an instant, and asked me what I meant by it, and how I dared to
presume to mention such a thing, especially when I considered in what
place I was. She had the best mind to tell her father, only that she was
afraid the consequences would be so very serious for me. Her manner was
so injured and decided, and her anger so evidently unfeigned, that I
forgot my cold upon the spot, begging her by all means to tell her father
if she wished to do so, and telling her that I had no idea of being
shielded by her from anything whatever; presently mollifying, after
having said as many biting things as I could, I asked her what it was
that I had done amiss, and promised amendment as soon as ever I became
aware of it. She saw that I was really ignorant, and had had no
intention of being rude to her; whereon it came out that illness of any
sort was considered in Erewhon to be highly criminal and immoral; and
that I was liable, even for catching cold, to be had up before the
magistrates and imprisoned for a considerable period--an announcement
which struck me dumb with astonishment.

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