The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-02-01
KNOWING now TO OBSERVE.


There Is hardly any subject concern
inr which most persons of general, ut
not of spccial, culture would more re-
sent the otter of instru ton, than that
~ how to observe. Observation seems
IN he the mere opening of the eyes, and
lettur the outer world photograph itself
in the dark camera of the mind. Even
the yoar-old child whose reasoning pow
ers are as yet undeveloped, can note and
follow with the eye and earand hand the
movements whi h 90 on within its little
sphere. And that notinga and following
seem tn come to the child instinctiyely
and easily, rather than to be the result
oil any lonsc attempt at learning
how TO use its powers of observation.
is il any wonder. then, that grown-up
persons, who can thoroughly enjoy their
book or their magazine, should feel
that the offer to teach them how 10 see
things partakes of the nature of an
insult?
Yet, as matter of fact, there is hard
IL any subject in which the need of in
struction is greater The man who has
not been prepared by special course
OF tlaining, or by a special experience,
10 see things Alright in given sphere,
is sure to mix up what he secs with
what he thinks he sees, and what he
feels about the subject in hand. He is
pretty sure to note carefully the things
which have little meaning, and to let
some of the essentials 90 unnoted.
Take IN extreme example. A cloud
gathers in the autumn evening round
some mountain head, and at last drifts
slowly of into the sky. Two observers
have watched the formation OF that
cloud; the one a child, the other me-
teorologist. Ask the child what he
saw, and he may give you some such
account as this: "Ohl | saw steam com
ing out Of hole in the top of the
mountain. | saw the hole quite plainly;
and there was boiling water in the hole.
There was smoke mixed with the cam,
and by and by it became black cloud.
guess it's burning mountain, and
that 5 where all the clouds come from. -
One who lis ened to that ac-
count would hardly know what the
child saw, and what he did not sec
Glance, on the other hand, at the note
hook Of the scientific observer. You
will find that he has noted points of
which the child never dream d, but
which are essential to the understand
ING OF the formation of that cloud. His
memoranda will tell you OF the varying
degrees OF temperature and of the hui
mdlty OF the atmosphere during the
time OF the observation. The exact
position of the mountain summit has
been noted--its relations to the noun
tan-masses around it, and its distance
from the sea or other bodies of water.
20 far as possible, the direction, force
ana heights OF the prevailing air-cur-
rents, and the electrical condition OF
lhe earth and the atmosphere, have
Deen found and noted. This observer
knows that the explanation Of what is
peculiar in the formation of that par
llcular cloud may lie in any one of a
hundred visible cooperating causes,
not one of which the ignorant or care,
less observer would either see or note.
20 ne registers everything even the
most trivial, which may affect the work.
ing out OF the problem.
such careful and consc 'entious OBJ.
servation as this consorts well with the
historical and genealogical associations
o. The world. Observation. in the vo.
eanulary of the Romans, was the specia
name Tor that reverent, patient atten-
uon which the scholar owes TO his teach
CT 10, day the leaders of physical sci
ehee preserA the honorable meaning oI
me word when they restrict it to the
scholar-like noting OF the phenomena o.
nature, and refuse to give it to the mas
ler-ilke handling of nature in expert
inenc ANA the importance, even in
XIV sicai researches, of this Tevereni
tc"cNab eness, is seen in the fact tha
mere Is no writer on the method of sci.
vuee' rom Bacon down to Whewell anC
.eEons, who has not devoted a grea
part Of his treatise to the discussion ane
ject = . = 'i'i' ~ s''O
The first step towards knowing how
~ y serve is to find out how remiss on,
US any Is in this line. Copy as careful
q you can a word or two in some
sSohpieX character which you do no
AnoW' such as the Arabic or the San
se.,e be sure that you have an exac
LeProuuciion OF the headline which vol
n'sNe chosen then take il to some on,
mmo Is lamiliar with the language of tn,
a @ Unless you are far NOR,
accurate observer than most men are
sour lrend wi have to show YOU tha
you nave perversely exaggerated th,
noh-essential forms and slurred over III,
SneI. S,se9llal. Or you can test yourself in
INJURED different ways. Youremarke,
u1oh The beauty of the church -buildin,
ten @iiifn y yon passed yesterday. Can yoII
w now many pillars clustered about it
roaens l Did you note whether the,
ol ~ere OF The Ionic or of the Corinthial
u.uers u1 Then that strangely spelle,
molu which Won encountered in YOU
lSg zlne reading last week--are yo,
aye to-day to write rs sne1Iino oIf, baynd
nun iation? '1 Piol'eA ti0
When you have found out how care
tt~S Won ora 4, ,-...-- = y,