Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-02-02

pearance were such as TO strike the at
teution of the most casual observer.
In height he was rather over six feet,
and so excessively lean that he seemed
to be considerably taller. HiS eyes
were sharp and piercing, save during
those intervals of torpor 10 which !
have alluded; and his thin. hawk-like
nose gave his whole expression an air
of alertness and decision. His chin.
too. had the prominence and square
ness which mark the man of determine
ton. His hands were invariably blotted
with ink and stained with chemicals.
yet he was possessed of extraordinary
/ delicacy of touch, as | frequently had
occasion to observe when | watched
him manipulating his fragile philo-
sophic cal instruments.
The reader may set me down as a
hopeless busybody, when | confess
how much this man stimulated my
curiosity and how often | endeavored
to break through the reticence which
he showed on all that concerned him
self Before pronouncing Judgment,
however. be ii remembered how object
less was my life and how little there
was TO engage my attention. My
health forbade me from venturing out
unless the weather was exceptionally
genial. and had no friends who would
call upon me and break the monotony
Of my daily existence. Under these
circums tances eagerly hailed the lit
tie mystery which hung around my
companion, and spent much of my
time in endeavoring to unravel it
He was not studying medicine. He
had himself, in reply to a question,
confirmed Stamford's opinion upon
that point. Neither did he appear to
have pursued any course of reading
which might fit him for a degree
| in science or any other recognized
portal which would give him an en-
trance into the learned world Yet
his zeal for certain studies was re-
markabIe, and within eccentric limits
his knowledge was so extraordinarily
ample and minute that his observa-
tions have fairly astounded me- Sure
" no man would work so hard to at
tain such precise information unless
he had some definite end in view
Desultory readers are seldom remark
able for the exactness of their learn
ing No man burdens his mind with
small matters unless he has some very
good reason for doing so.
His ignorance was as remarkable as
his knowledge. OF contemporary lit
erature. philosophy and politics he
appeared to know next to nothing
Upon my quoting Thomas Carlyle. he
inquired in the naivest way who he
might be and what he had done. My
surprise reached a climax. however.
when found incidentally that he was
ignorant of the Copernican theory and
of the composition of the solar sys-
tenn. That any civilized human being
in this nineteenth century should not
be aware that the earth Travelled
round the sun appeared to be to me
such an extraordinary fact that could
hardly realize it.
You appear to be astonished," he
said. smiling at my expression of sur
prise Now that do know it shall
do my best to forget it"
ITO forget it,
''You see" he explained, II consider
that mans brain originally is like a
little empty attic. and you have to
stock il with such furniture as you
| choose. fool takes in all the lumo
| of every sort that he comes across. so
that the knowledge which might be
useful to him gets crowded out, or at
best is jumbled up with lot of other
things. SO that he has difficulty in
laying his hands upon it. Now the
Ind
as to what he takes into his brain
attic He will have nothing but the
tools which may help him in doing his
work, but of these he has a large
assortment, and all in the most perfect
order 1t is mistake to think that
that little room has elastic walls and
can distend to any extent Depend
upon it, there comes time when for
every addition of knowledge you for
get something that you knew before.
1t is of the highest Importance, there
fore, not to have useless facts elbowing
out the useful ones"
but the solar svstem," I protested.
"What the deuce is it to me?" he in
terrupted impatiently; you say that
we go round the sun. If we went
| TOuuu IHC D1OOH IL NOh1o hOb MANY
pennvworth of difference to me or to
my work"
] was on the point of asking him
what that work might be, but some
thing in his manner showed me that
the question would be an unwelcome
one. | pondered over our short CON
yersation, however. and endeavored &c
J draw nv deductions from it. He said
that he would acquire no knowledge
which did not bear upon his object
/ Therefore all the knowledge which he
possessed was such as would be useful
to him. | enumerated in my own mind
all the various points upon which he
had shown me that he was exception
allv well informed. | even took q
pencil and iotted them down. | could
not help smiling at the document wher
had completed it. Itran in this way
SHERLOCK HoLMEs-his limits
l. knowledge OF Literature.-NiL
. knowledge of Philosophy.-NiL
8 knowledge OF Astronomy.
l. Knowledge Of Politics--Fe ole
s. knowledge of Botany.-Variable. Well VI
in beladonna, opium and poisc-s generally
Knows nothing OF practical gardening.
q KNOWLEDGE OF Geology - Practical, ou
limited Tells at glance different soils from
each other After walks has shown me splasne'
upon his trousers, and told me by tNeir coloi
and consistence in what par: OF London he had
received them
Z knowledge Of Chemistry. Profound
g. Knowledge Of Ana atomy.-Accurate, but IN
systematic
y knowledge OF Sensational Literature -
Immense. He appears TO know every detan OF
every horror perpetrated in the century
10 Plays the violin well
IL Is an expert singles tick player boxer ane
sEoTdsman
i2 Has good practical knowledge Of British
law.
When had got so far in my list
threw it into the fire in despair. III
can only find what the fellow is driv'
ing at by reccnciling all these accom-
pIishments, and discovering a calling
&ya{Ipp %Iis ssMA,
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