The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-12-11
A WOMAN SCIENTIST.
Tho Progress Made by Mrs. Arabella
Fisher In Her Chosen Profession.

| The Progress Made by Mrs. Arabella
Fisher In Her Chosen Profession.
Few of the writer's of to-day have
done more to invest the dry bones" OF
natural science with real interest and
a fiesh-aud- blood personality than has
Mrs Arabella Fisher, better known as
Arabella Burton Buckley. Though
Mrs. Fisher is an English woman, and
her books have, of course, been most
widely circulated in her native land,
scientists of all countries, and especially
in America, are familiar with her
works, which have done much toward
popularizing the study of natural
science, and showing what a real fas-
cination there is in that study, when
well entered into Perhaps no books
are better calculated to rouse in young
people a greater attraction toward
scientific matters than Mrs. Fisher S
three best known works, The Fairy
Land of Science" Life and Her Chill
dren," and winners in Life's Race. :"
Arabella Buckley was born in 1910,
at Brighton, where her father, a clergy
man of the established-or, as we call
it in this country, the Episcopal church
held charge. When she was years
old her father removed to the vicarage
of St Mary's, in London, where, of
course, the little Arabella had the OPP
portunity of far better educational ad-
vantages than in Brighton. Her prog
ress in study and love of knowledge de-
lighted her teachers. though they found
cause of complaint in her too lively in
terest in subjects outside of her lessen.
AS she grew Older, the amount of paro-
chial work which naturally falls on the
shoulders of a clergyman's daughter
fell to her lot, and this developed still
more strongly the tireless energy and
executive powers which were her nat
ural endowment.
She longed, however. for opportuni-
ties for broader self-culture in a more
distinctly literary line, and applied for
the post of secretary and amanuensis
to the eminent scientist, Sir Charles
LyelL Her application was successful
her singularly clear handwriting pre-
possessing Sir Charles in her favor
From that time (1s84) to his death in
1873 Miss Buckley filed her post in
manner highly satisfactory. SO indis-
pensable did she become that during
six months when she visited a sister in
Italy, Sir Charles was forced to give up
work and travel around until Miss
Buckley could return, all other amanu-
enses which he had tried as substitutes
proving unsatisfactory. Besides at
20, Iipr 10 &c
she drew illustrations and recast pass
ages when new editions of his works
were called for, corrected the proofs,
and got up tables and indexes.
In return for this invaluable service
on her part, Miss Buckley entered the
friendship of both Sir Charles and
Lady Lyell, and at the social gatherings
at their house became acquainted with
some of the most eminent scientists
and literary men. Hardly any acquaint-
ances could be more congenial to one
of her bent of mind than such men as
Profs Herschel, Tyndal, Huxley, Bish-
op, Colenso, Dean, Mllman, James
Martineau, and, above all, Chas. Oar
win. The latter, always gracious and
appreciative to younger workers,
aroused in her the deepest admiration
and respect An essay on his Descent
of Man" published anonymously in
Macmillan's Magazine) was Miss Buck
ley's first literary venture. 1t was en-
titled "Darwinism and Religion" and
aimed to show that the evolution
theory neither shuts out God, degrades
our conscience, checks our belief in
the power of communion with the Di-
vine mind, nor diminishes our hope of
Immortality. Inter Ocean.