Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-06-21
CHAPTER III.
The Science af Deduction.

We met next day as he had arranged,
and inspected the rooms at No. 221b,
Baker street. of which he had spoken
at our meeting. They consisted of a
single, large airy sitting-rooms and
single. large, airy sitting-rooms II a
fully furnished and illuminated by two
broad windows. So desirable in every
way were the departments, and so mod
crate did the terms seem when divided
between us, that the bargain was con-
Guided upon the spot, and we at once
entered into possession. That very even
Ing I moved my things round from the
hotel. and on the following morning
Sherlock Holmes followed me with sew
eral boxes and ~portmanteaus. For a
day or two we were busily employed
In unpacking and laying out our PROP
erty to the best advantage. That done,
we gradually began to settle down and
to accommodate ourselves to our new
surroundings.
Holmes was certainly not a difficult
man TO live with. He was quiet in his
ways, and his habits were regular. It
was rare for him to be up after 10 at
night, and he had invaribly brcakfasted
and gone out before / rose In them morn
Ing. Sometimes he spent his day at
the chemical laboratory, sometimes In
the dissecting-rooms, and occasionally
I'm long walks, which appeared to take
him into the lower portions Of the city.
Nothing could exceed his energy when
the working fit was upon him; but now
and again 2 reaction would seize him,
and for days on end he would lie upon
the sofa in the sitting-room, hardly ut
rtering a word or moving a muscle from
smorning TO night. On these occasions
/ have noticed such a dreamy, vacant
expression in his eyes that / 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 a 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 appear
ance were such as to strike the atten-
ton of the most casual observer. In
height he was rather over six feet, and
and so excessively lean that he seemed
to be considered taller. His eyes We're
sharp and piercing, save during those
intervals of torpor to which / have al
luded; and his thin, hawk-ike nose
gave his whole expression an air OF
alertness and decision. His chin, too,
udu Tic pTOl1lltutS duu SduaiNIScc
which mark the man Of determination.
His hands were invariably blotted with
ink and stained with chemicals, yet
he was possessed of extraordinary de-
licacy of touch. as / frequently had DC
casion 10 observe when l watched him
manipulating his fragile philosophical
instruments.
His ignorance was as remarkable as
his knowledge. OF contemporary lit
erature, philosophy and politics he APP
peared 10 know nothing. Upon my
quoting Thomas Carlyle, he inquired in
the naivest way who he might be and
what he had done. My surprise reach
ed a climax, however, when l found in
cidentally that he was ignorant of the
Copernican Theory and OF the compo-
sition of the solar system. That any
civilized human being In the nineteenth
century should not be aware that the
earth travelled round the sun appeared
20 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 1 do know 1t, i shall
do my best to forget it"
ITO forget it,"
You see," he explained, II consider
chat a mans brain originally is like a
little empty attic, and you have TO
stock il with such furniture as you
choose. A fool takes in all the lumber
of every sort that he across, so
that the knowledge which might be use
fui To him gets crowded out, or, at best.
Is jumbled up with a lot Of other things
so that he has difficulty in laying his
hands upon il. Now the skillful work
man is very careful indeed, as TO what
he takes into his brain-attic. He will
have nothing hut the tools which may
help him in doing his work. but of these
he has n large assortment, and all in
the most perfect order. It is Q mistake
to think that that little room has elias
&c walls and can distend to any extent.
Depend upon IL, there IN a time
when f,r every addition of knowledge
ron forget something that you knew be-
fore. u is OF the highest importance,
therefore, not To ave Useless facts eli
bowing OUT tie useful ones"