Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-07-08
CHAPTER III.
The Science of Deduction.

We met next day as he had arranged,
and inspected the rooms at NO. zZlD,
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 and
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 l moved my things round from the
hotel. and on the following morning
Sherlock Holmes followed me with sew
eral boxes and portmanteaus. For
day or two we were busily employed
in unpacking and laying out our proc
erty to the best advantage. Ihat zone,
we gradually began to settle down ana
to accommodate ourselves to our new
surroundings.
Holmes was certainly not a difficult
man to live with. He was quiet III MS
ways. and his habits were regular. IL
was rare for him to be up after 10 at
night, and he had invaribly breakfasted
and gone out before | rose in the morn
inc. Sometimes he spent his day at
the chemical laboratory, sometimes III
the dissecting-rooms, and occasionally
in 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 q reaction would seize MIN,
and for days on end he would lie upon
the sofa in the Sitting-roOm, hardly Ut
tering a word OF moving muscle from
morning to night On these occasions
I 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 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 feeC ana
and so excessively lean that he seemed
to be considered taller. His eyes were
sharp and piercing, save during those
intervals of torpor to which l have al
Iuded: and his thin, hawk-ike nose
gave his whole expression an air OF
aIertness and decision. His chin, too,
S11NSA'
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 l frequently had oc
casion to observe when [ watched him
manipulating his fragile philosophical
instruments.
His ignorance was as remarkable as
his knowledge Of contemporary lit
erature, philosophy and politics he ap-
peared to 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 found in
cidentalIy 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
to be to me such an extraordinary fact
that I could hardly realize it.
You appear to be aStoniShed," he
said, smiling at my expression of sur
prise ''Now that l do know it, shall
do my best to forget it,"
ITO forget it!'
''You see," he explained, 81 consider
that 4 mans brain originally is like
little empty attic, and you have to
stock it with such furniture as you
choose. A fool takes in all the lumber
of every sort that he comes across, so
that the knowledge which might be use
full 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 it. Now the skillful work
man is very careful indeed, 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 a mistake
to think that that little room has elias
ic walls and can distend to any extent.
Depend upon it, there comes a time
when for every addition OF knowledge
you forget something that you knew De
fore. 1t is of the highest Importance,
therefore, not to have Useless facts ell
bowling out the useful ones.
But the Solar System! l protested.
What the deuce is it to me!" lie