Sir: The phenomenon of Omission Neurosis and its paraphenomena Obsolescence
Feeling, Aorism, and Preterition, are of considerable significance as indicating displacement at a profound level in our society. Some of us have been working on this question and intend, during the forthcoming World Almanack Year, to make our findings known, with a view to a new approach to the whole nexus of spa tio- temporal, socio-psychological, and public health problems involved.
Yours etc, BERNARD LEPRECHAUN Department of Socio-Psychology, Essex Extracts from a feature article in 'The Warden' 'Darkened Days' by Olga Troll In a shabbily furnished but scrupulously neat back room lives Edward Pixie. You would not think at first sight that he was a stricken man . . . yet after a few minutes the brutal truth comes to you that this veteran has a yawning gap in his life . . .
The nurse silently closed the door of the ward. Outside the sun was shining. 'Yes,' said Sir Osbert, 'there's little we can do for aorists except make them as comfortable as we can, and wait for the inevitable. And the terrible thing is that these cases are entirely man-made. They need never have happened.' I thought of the little girl who would have no birthday this year, and the emptiness in her eyes .
. . a computer-based study following field- work in depth,' said Professor Leprechaun, 'but it didn't fit into the categories laid down by the Research Committee, so I expect our team will have to be dispersed. And yet we lead the world on this. Nobody else has tried to tackle it.'
Mr Hobgoblin raised the matter on the Ad- journment, the Earl of Poltergeist moved for Papers in the Lords. When an all-party com- mittee of Parliamentarians had seen a still- resisting Mr Wraith, they put down an Early Day Motion, which was supported by about thirty Government back-benchers. At that moment the Government was troubled by a threatened revolt on the proposed cession of Rockall to Iceland, so concessions were decided upon by the Cabinet. Funds were provided for research into Omission Neurosis and for the publication of newspapers in English and Welsh dated in the old style for free delivery to certified omissional neurotics, for whom a scheme of compensation was devised. In the next honours list Mr Pixie got the OBE.
John Wells will be back next week
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