The Globe-republican., 1894-04-13

~ ~
ONE MORNING A YOUNG GIEL CALLED
FAsHIONABLY DRESSED.
lock Holmes used to beg for the use of
the sitting-room, and would retire to
my bedroom. He always apologized
to me for putting me to this inconven-
fence. 81 have to use this room as
place of business" he said. land these
people are my clients" Again had
an opportunity of asking him point
blank question, and again my delicacy
prevented me from forcing another
man to confide in me. l imagined at
the time that he had some strong rea-
son for not abiding to it, bat he soon
dispelled the idea by coming round to
the subject of his own accord.
It wa. upon the 4th of March, as
have good reason to remember. that l
rose somewhat earlier than usual. and
found that Sherlock Holmes had not yet
finished his breakfast. The landlady
had become so accustomed to my late
habits that my place had not been laid
nor my coffee prepared. With the I'M
reasonable petulance OF mankind l
rang the bell and gave curt intima-
ton that l was ready. Then picked
up a magazine from the table and at
tempted to while away the time with
it, while ny companion munched 81
lentIy at his toast. One of the articles
had q pencil mark at the heading,
and l naturally began to run my eye
through it.
Its somewhat ambitious title was
'.The Book of Life" and it attempted
to show how much an observant man
might learn by an accurate and sys-
tematic examination of all that came
in his way. 1t struck me as being a re-
marllable mixture of shrewdness and
absuraity. The reasoning was close
and intense. but the deductions ap-
peared to be far-fetched and eXagger-
ated. The writer claimed by mo
mentary expression. twitch OF
muscle or a glance of an eye. to fathom
. mans Utmost thoughts. Deceit. ac-
corling to him. was an ilnpossibillty
ia the case of one trained to observa-
fiou aad analysis. His conclusions
were rs infalliblc as so many propo-
sst;ons of Euclid. So startling would
his results appear to the uninitiated
that. until they learned the processes
by which he had arrived at them, they
sai1ht well consider him necromancer.
From drop of water" said the
writer, "a logician could infer the pos
sibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara
without having seen or heard OF one or
the other. So all life is a great chain,
the nature of which is known whenever
we are shown a single link of it. Like
all other arts, the science of deduction
and analysis is one which can only be
acquired by long and patient study,
nor is life long enough to allow any
mortal to attain the highest possible
perfection in it. Before turning to
| those moral and mental aspects of the
matter which present the greatest diff
iculties. let the inquirer begin by mas
tering more elementary problems. Let
him, on meeting fellow-mortal, learn
at glance to distinguish the history
of the man. and the trade or profession
to which he belongs. Puerile as such
an exercise may seem, it sharpens the
faculties of observation and teaches
one where to look and what to look
for. Ry a mans iinger-nails, by his
coat-sleeve, by his boot. by his trouser-
knees. by the caliosities of his fore
finger and thumb. by his expression,
by his shirt-cuffs--by each of these
things mans calling is plainly re-
| of1 Oh $os1 70
enlighten the competent inquirer in
any case is almost uncomfortable"
'.What ineffable twaddle!" cried
slapping the magazine down on the
table; Il never read such rubbish in
my life"
what is ito" asked Sherlock Holmes
'Why, this article" said, pointing
at it with my egg spoon as sat down
to my breakfast. Il see that you have
read it, since you have marked it.
don't deny that it is smartly writ
ten. It irritates me, though. 1t j:
evidently the theory of some arm-chai,
louneer who evolves all these neat lit
tie paradoxes in the seclusion of hi.
own study. It is not practical
should like to see him clapped down il
third-class carriage on the Under
ground. and asked to give the trades o.
all his fellow travellers. would lay Z
thousand to one against him"
"You would lose your money" Sher
; lock Holmes remarked, calmly. "A.
for the article. wrote it myself"
J YOU
Eyes, have q turn both for observa
| ton and for deduction. The theoric
which I have expressed there. ant
which appear to you to be so chimeri
! | cal, are really extremely practical