The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-10-30
Mothers of Scientific Men.

1t is saying, which is often repeated, that
"clever men have clever mothers" and when
people are inquiring into the pedigree of n
man of intellectual mark, the question, "what
sort of a mother had -" is one which may
well arise In the mind. 1t is one, too, which
not unfrequently ELECTS in reply the declara.
ton that the mother was u person of some
Intellectual power--not always necessarily
of high degree of education, but still a wo-
man who made u mark on the society in
which she moved, of whatever rank in lie
she may have been. Genus and talent are,
fortunately, not confined to any one station,
although there are undoubtedly some circum-
stances much more favorable than others to
enhance the development of the Intellectual
powers. n.EI.U .f..I .E'
The notion that clever fathers have clever
sons is not nearly so popular as the one that
brain power Is inherited from the mother
Mr. Francis Gallon, as is well known, has un-
dertaken to show, and has shown, that the
popular notion Is, 10 say the least, an lmper.
feet one, and that clever men have often trans
mitted great intellectual power TO their chill
dren, although the manifestations have not
always been the same kind IN succeeding
generations. In his most recent work on "Sci
entiGc Men and their Nature" Cd. Appleton
& Co.. Mr.. Gallon takes up u special class of
distinguished men, and, by the help of inior
nation received from themselves, he gives an
account of the influences which have been at
work IN the determination of their character,
and in the direction of their intellectual tastes
He draws a large number of very sound edu-
cational deductions, which we would strong.
ly commend TO the attention of all those who
have anything to do, either as educators. with
the direction of the mental life OF children
possessed of unusual capacity, or of decided
bent in any special scientific direction.
Among the influences brought To bear npon
the nature aud nurture of scientific as OF 9th
er men, undoubtedly that of the mother has
much to do. Accordingly we find that many
of the scientific men record OF their mothers
that they were possessed of considerable In
tellectual power; and ore or two state that
their FIRST impulses toward the pursuit of Sci
ence were decidedly derived from their moth
ers, and distinctly iOsiered aud encouraged
| by them. On the other hand, however, Mr.
Gallon remarks that, of all intellectual men,
\ those following Science are least indebted 10
the maternal influence: in fact II NAV almost
be said that the mothers influence in turning
the sons mind in the direction of science is
4 scarcely felt at all. lie declares that this
could not he said so far rs men distinguished
in literature or In certain professions are con.
4 cerned, and he ascribcs the marked absence
of the mothers influence over scientific men
Il 10 the fact that the feminine mind does not
| care for science, and that the ways Of thinking
Of scientific persons are not those which com.
mend themselves most TO wonen's habits of
Thought The fact is rendered all the more
7 noteworthy because in the majority Of instan.
e ces, the influence Of the father in directing
) the sons mental tendencies Is clearly acknowl
, edged.
/, II is 10 be noted that, where feeling, refine
} ment and even ambition are concerned
mothers have greatly influenced their sons
!. but where exacs thought and patient inyesti