, 1874-04-05
WORKING BY RULE.

WORKING BY RULE. Il
By PROF. WILLIAM MATTHEWS, OF THE UNIVERSITY
OF CHICAGO.
A Boston correspondent of the New YORK
Tribune, in speaking of the late Prot. Agassiz,
remarks that he was gingularly unmethodlcal IN
his habits Men who live and work by rule
would be puzzled to understand how the great +
scientist contrired to do 30 much without these
helps Agassiz lived and worked by inspiration.
"If he was suddenly seized with an interest IN
some scientific inquiry, ho would pursue II at
once,-putting by, perhaps, other WORK IN "hicn
he had Just got fairly stnrted. always hkc to
take advantage Of my productive moods he
said to me. Thus be often had several irons IN.
the fire, only one Of which might be ultimately
finished. Probably ho eaw that the last iron
promised to work up better than the frat. He
ne7er could be made to work like a machine
turning out definite quantity 1t regular inter-
vals. He mover felt bound to regard the rule
that Won must finish ono thing before you bcE1n
another, 30 emphatically presented IN tho old
eopy-books."
The fact here stated concerning Agass'z's
habits points to an important principle OF intel
lectual labor which merits the attention OF I'll
mental workers. There are some persons who
seem to think tho great end and aim OF lie 's to
practice the minor virtues. To be courteous,
punctual, economical in the management OF 1me
sad money,-to do ono thing at tlme and never
to procrastinate,-in short, moral de1serity and
handiness,-ar quaitiea which they never use
of clorifying, and which. above all others, they
s;m to exempliIy in their own lives and chazac-
ters. Almost every iberaly- -oducated man can
0f f1iH clagB whom no
knew in conege,-young men who were marked
by their associates for their enslavement to cor
tain stin, cast-iron rules, more inaexible than
the laws Of tho Medee and Persians. so often
referred to By stump-Bpeakors,-by which they
regulated their minutest actions. Over their
mantels were posted'a long string OF regu-
lations, which, at i heroic sacrifice OF COM
fort, they dsily and sedulously OBJ
served-such theBe: !" Remember,
/, To rise at 6. 2. Recitation At Z. g. Break
fast at 8, 4. Exercise half m hour. S. Study
two houra;'' and so on. Such Ruckefs lot
method are generally very conscientious men,
who honestly wish to make the most OF their fac
ultles and opportunities but generally, VIC tear,
they are not overstocked with brains, and, az
they do not create prodigious sensation II col
leee, 30 they are rarely guilty OF setting any
rivers on fire after graduation. The Roman poet,
Juyanal with his usual vigorous touch, haspains-
I'D Representative man" Of this class:
II he but walk mile, he first must LOOK
For the TT hour and minute in his hook;
If his eye itch, the pain will still encpce,
MOI Til q scheme be ralsed, apply the cure.
No,v it in we'll to have gone method in one's
actions.-eyen in ones madness, as did Hamlet;
Int to be ahack1ed by many and minute rules OF
condnct.-to rule all ones actions with ruler,-
to divide one'e time With 8 pair Of compasses,
.nd allow precisely 30 much to this thing and
| 40 much to that's a intolerable torment.
The virtues that accompany 'uethod-such
| 40 nunctua1ity, the disposition not to lolter,
| and the power Of working up spare moments tor
| ,safnl nnrposes-are ell oommendable; they
te]n q man to do his work triumphantly, and IN
/ an aasy. assured manner; ; but 1t ia possible to
cverrate their value. They oil the wheels OF life,
xnd mako them 1un without hitch or creaking
| hnt they do not determine the character OF that
| ife. Their only value is derlvative, and they
| hive M more power to do the business OF life
| than a nn1ley has to lift weight Robert Hall
nsad to say OF early rising that the real question
uas not what time you get up, but what do You
| do when you are up. So method and the I'M
proyement Of time are important in themselves; !;
| bnt o far more important question Is, hoto GO you
improve your time? It is well to be at your post
at the yerv moment the clock strikes the hour;
but it is far more important to be ablo to ois-
charge it's duties after you have got there
Mental stature intellectual power, has not very
close relation, We fear, to the virtues OF nhr-
tinet. wise, thoughtful, useful man-A clear-
headed reasouer, q profound th1nKef-may 10
immethodical, dilatorJ, slovenly, just as graos
may b. clumsy, awkward, and loose IN AL t'S
| make-up-
Perhaps no two persons we're ever more u1l-
like eech other, in respect to methoo OF esstou4'
than Southey and ColerldGe. Ihey ssflklneV
illustrate the advantages and drs"oacks OF 1ne
hsbit Of mind which has been so much lauoeo'
Southoy was IS regular rs clock' A4"hs6
promnt and punctuAl, he did hls work WITH .he
axactneas and precision of machine; and the
watcA no sooner ticked the hou. than his liter
.rv tale Of brick 7as forthcoming. He wrote
noetrv before breakfast; he read during break
inst he read history till dinner; be corrected
n,oof-sheets between dinner and tcs; he wrote
an oasav for the Quarterly afterwards; and aftc'
simmer composed The Doctor, An elaborate
| iast Never was there greater miser OF time
never. since pliny, were moments 30 consclcn
tio,a,v improved Even when walking fo1
orcrcise be took T. book With him
Rnt .yhnt does lis life prove, e1cep
th.t tha habits Of mind best fitted for conanauna
co3;no information habits formed with TIL
greatest care, and daily regulated BY the pes
, Tnotiyes-nre exactly the habits which are Akel!
Ia afford man tho best information to commu
nicate7 southey's works are prodisaes Of learn
inc and labor; but who reads them nowf " VIVA
, work has he produced which the "orlo VIII no
willingly let de-; what bold striking 'nougns ~;
has he uttered which stick in the memory TX
, barhed Az1ows, that cannot be w1tno5s"n1 ~ =.
, ~. hnndrad md thfee Jolnmeos Vhieas n aooa