Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-25
THE LATE PaOFESsOIs HENRY.
Incidents I'm n Philosopher. Boyhood.
c. p. Osborne. in Scientific American.

G. p. Osborne in Scientific American
Anon" the Interesting "reminiscences of
Professor Henry's boyhOOd is the story of his
first palr of boots-a true story, often told by
himself In later years:
When he was a boy, IL was the universal custom
to have boots made to order. and his grand
mother with whom he was living indulgentiv
allowed him to choose the style for himself There
was 40 great variety OF styles. Indeed the choice
was imltc 0thc question of round toes or square
toes Day after day Joseph went to the cob
blers and talked over fine matter without com
lnT to q decision. and this even after their manu-
facture WAS begun. until at last the shoemaker,
fairly out OF patience, took the decision into his
own hands and made most remarkable pair of
boOts-Cne boot round toed. the other square
toed.
LaterinIfe Prof Henry often came deliberately
TO his decisions. with the advantage that he sell
dom if ever had occasion to abandon them.
While joseph was schOGlbOy he acquired
taste for reading In this peculiar way: One day
be chased a pet rabbit through an opening in
the foundation wall of the villa re meeting house.
While Crawling about among dirt and rubbish
a cieam of LIGHT rnticed him through the brok en-
floor. AMI he found himself in room containing
the open bookcase of the town library. The
title of one Ui the books struck hi5 fancy and he
TOOK n down. 10 was Brooks Fool of Quality"
and he read, coming again and again through
the hole IN the floor. until access by the door
was finally granted him. From this first book
that he ever real with relish, he passed on
eagerly to other works of fiction in that library
A few years later, IN way almost equally ac-
cidrntlity. his mind was turned to an entirely
different class of reading.
Confined at home 10y temporary Illness he
took up u book casually left on the table by a
toar,lrr, and entitled Lectures on Experiment
tai Philosophy. Astronomy and Chemistry in
tended chiefly for the use of Young Persons
BY q. Gregory. IL began with few a,les-
tons: y GU throw stone shoot an arrow
into The air; why does it not go forward In the
line or direction that YOU give it,? Why does
h1ne or smoke always mount upward. though
no force Is used tO send them i'm that direction?
And why shuuid not the flame of a candle drop
toward the floor when You reverse il or hold it
downward: gain You look into clear we'll
of water and see your own face and figure, as if
painted there Why is this? Iou are told il IL
done by the reflection of light. But what IL the
reflection of light
The tri:iing incident Of taking up this book
may be said TO have turned the whole course OF
this !afs life.
Alter his death this book was found I'm Prof
Henrys library with tine following entry upon
The tiy-caf. written in his own hand:
This book. although by no means profound
w0fk, has. under Providence. eXertcd a re-
marhahr Influence upon my life. IL accident
ally fell into my hands when was about SIX
teen years old. and was the first work | ever
read with attention. 1t opeIcd To ME new
world of thou ght and enjoyment: invested
things before almost unnOticed with the highest
interest: fixed my mind on the study of nature,
AMI caused ME to resolve mt the time of reading
1t that | would Immediately commence to de-
vote my life to The acquisition of know ledge"
Many young men quit school at sixteen years
of are. They should take lesson from Joseph
Henry. and regard education not completed.
but just begun.