The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-01-18
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TIE SCIENCE OF DEDUCTION.


boxes and portmonteaus. For day or
two we were busily employed in un-
packing and laying out our property
to the best advantage. That done, we
gradually began to settle down and to
accommodate ourselves to our new sur
roundings.
Holmes was certainly not difficult
man to live with. He was quiet in his
ways and his habits were regular. 1t
was rare for him to be up after ten at
night, and he had invariably break
tasted and gone ont before rose in
the morning. Sometimes he spent his
day at the chemical laboratory, some
times in the dissecting-rooms and oc-
casionally in long walks, which APP
peared to take him into the lowest por-
tions of the city. Nothing could ex-
ceed his energy when the working fit
was upon him, but now and again re-
action would seize him and for days
on end he would lie upon the sofa in
the sitting-room, hardly uttering a
word or moving muscle from morn
ing to night. On these occasions
have noticed such dreamy, vacant
expression in his eyes that 1 might
have suspected him of being addicted
to the use of some narcotic had not
the temperance and cleanliness of his
whole life forbidden such notion.
AS the weeks went by, my interest
IN him and my curiosity as to his aims
in life gradually deepened and in
creased. His very person and APP
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 to which l
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
tion. 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-
sophical instruments.
The reader may set me down as q
hopeless busybody, when l 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 it 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
circumstances 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 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 ep.
trance into the learned world. Yet
his zeal for certain studies was re-
markao bic, and WIJuln cCcensrlC tnili TO
his knowledge was so extraordinarily
ample and minute that his observa-
tions have fairly astounded me. Sure
ly 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
lis 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 climax, however
when found incidentally that he was
ignorant Of the Copernican theory and
OF the composition of the solar sys
TEN. That any civilized human being
in this nineteenth century should moi
be aware that the earth Travelled
round the sun appeared TO be to me
such ap extraordinary fact that | could
hardly realize it,
"You appear to be astonished," he
said, smiling at my expression Of sur
prise, Nov that | do know it | shal
do my best to forget it,"
ITO forget itl''
"You see," he explained, ~ consider
that mans brain originally is like ;
little empty attic, and you have Il
stock it with such furniture as yol
choose. A fool takes in all the lumber
of every sort that he comes across, 81
that the knowledge which might b,
useful to him gets crowded out, or a
best is jumbled up with lot of othe
things, so that he has a difficulty IL
laying his hands upon it. Now tn,
skillful workman is very careful indeed
as to what be takes into his brain
attic. He will have nothing but th'
tools which may help him in doing hi
work, but Of these he has large
assortment, and all in the most perfec
order. It is mistake to think tha
that little room has elastic walls anC
can distend to any extent DEPEND
upon it, there comes time when TO
every addition Of knowledge you for
ret something that YOU knew before