The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-03-14
SCIENTIFIC NOTES,

SCIENTIFIC NOTES,
| TYNDALL's YOUTHFUL EXPERIENCES. -
Not as a servant of Mammon do L ask
you to take science to your hearts, but
as the strengthener and enlightener of
the mind of man. Might now address
a word or two TO those who in the ardor
of youth feel themselves drawn toward
science as a vocation. They must, if
possible, increase their fidelity to Origi-
nal research, prizing far more than the
possession of wealth an honorable stand
ing in science. They must, think, be
| prepared at times to suffer a little for
the sake of scientific righteousness, not
refusing, should occasion demand it, to
| live low and die hard to achieve the OBJ
iect of their lives. l do not here urge
anything upon others that / should
have been unwilling to do myself when
young. Let me give you a line of per-
sonal history. In 184S, wishing to i'm
prove myself in science, / went TO the
university of Marburg-the same old
town in which my great namesake, when
even poorer than myself, published his
translation of the Pible. I lodged in
the plainest manner, in street which,
perhaps bore an appropriate name while
l dwelt upon it. 1t was called the Ket-
zerbach-the heretic's brook-from a
little historic rivulet running through
it. I wished to keep myself clean and
hardy 80 / purchased cask and had
it cut in two by a carpenter. Half that
cask, filled with spring water over night,
was placed in my small bedroom, and
never during the years that I spent
there, in winter or in summer, had the
clock of the beautiful Elizabetherkirche
which was close at hand, finished strik-
ing the hour of 6 in the morning before
was in my tub. For good portion of
the time / rose an hour and half ear
Iier than this, working by lamp-light at
the differential calculus when the world
was slumbering round me. And risk
ed this breach in my pursuits and this
expenditure of time and money, not be-
cause I had any definite prospect of ma
terial profit in view, but because I
thought the cultivation of the intellect
mportant-because, moreover, l loved
my work, and entertained the sure and
certain hope that, armed with knOwl-
edge. one can successfully fight ones
way through the world. 1t is with the
view of giving others the chance that I
then enjoyed that I propose to devote
the surplus of the money which you
have so generously poured in upon me,
to the education of young philosophers
In Germany. / ought not. for their
sake. to omit one additional motive by
which was upheld at the time here re-
ferred to-that was a sense of duty.
Every young man of high aims must,
think, have a spice of this principle
within him. There are sure to be hours
in his life when his outlook will be
dark, his work difficult, and his intel
lectual future uncertain. Over such
periods, when the stimulus of success
is absent, he must be carried by his
sense Of duty. It may not be SO quick
an incentive as glory, but it is nObler
one, and gives a tone to character which
glory cannot impart That unfinching
devotion to work, without which no real
eminence in science is now attainable,
implies the writing at certain times of
the stern resolve upon the students
character: g work, not because ] like
to work, but because / ought to work.
In science, however, love and duty are
sure to be rendered identical in the end.
THE FIRST FUCHsIA-Old Mr.. Lee, a
nurseryman and gardener near London,
well known so or 60 years ago, was one
day showing his variegated treasures to
a friend, who suddenly turned to him
and declared: "Well, you have not III
your collection prettier flower than /
saw this morning at Wrapping" No? ?
And pray what was this Phoenix like 2"
"Why, the plant was elegant, and the
flowers hung in rows like tassels from
the pendent branches, their cOlors the
richest crimson; in the center fold OF
deep purple" and so forth. Particular
directions being demanded and given,
Mr.. Lee posted off to the place, where
he at once perceived that the plant was
new in this part of the world. He saw
and admired. Entering the house, he
said: "My good woman, this is nice
plant, [ should like to buy it, ." All
sir. 1 could not sell it for no money; for
it was brought to me from the West In
dies, bv my husband, who has now left
again, and I must keep it for his sake.
"But / must have it," "No, sir y
"Here p emptying his pockets; ''here
is gold, silver, copper (Iis stock was
something more than eight guineas.)
Well-a-day But this is a power OF
money. sure and sure" ""Iis yours,
and the plant is mine and, my good
young ones I rear, to keep for your hus-
bands sake" A coach was called, in
which was safely deposited our florist
and his seemingly dear purchase. His
first work was to pull off and utterly
destroy every vestige of blossom and
blossom bub it was divided into cut
tings. which were forced into bark beds
and hot-beds, were redivided and sub
divided. Every effort was used to null
tiply the plant. BY the commencement
of the next Towering season Mr.. Lee
was the delighted possessor of 300
fuchsia plants, all giving promise of
blossom. The two which opened first
were removed into his slow-house. A
lady came. "Why, Mr.. Lee, my dear
Mr. Lee where did you getthis charm.
ing fower?" Pretty, is it not ?"
"Pretty 'Tis lovely Its price?' 9 A
guinea, thank your ladyship )" ana one
of the two plants stood proudly in her
ladyship's boudoir. "My dear Char
lotte where did yOu get that elegant
flower" cob it's a new thing. L
saw it at old Lees Pretty, is it not 2,
Pretty! "'Tis beautiful It's price,.
"a guinea. There was another left.
The visitor smoked off to the suburbs.
A third Towering plant stood on the
spot whence the first had been taken.