Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-02-21


8. knowledge of Astronomy.-Nil.
4. knowledge of Politics. Feeble.
8. knowledge of Botany. Variable.
Well up in belladonna, opium and poi
sons generally. Knows nothing Of prac-
tical gard ening.
6. Knowledge of Geology.
cal, but limited. Tells at glance diff
ferent soils from each other. After walks
has shown me splashes upon his trou-
sers, and told me by their color and con-
sistenco in what part of London he had
received them.
z. knowledge of Chemistry. Pro
found.
s. Knowledge of Anatomy.-Accu-
rate, but unsystematic.
o. knowledge of Sensational Litera-
ture. Immense. He appears to know
every detail of every horror perpetrated
in tho century.
10. Plays the violin we'll.
II. Is an expert single stick player,
boxer and swordsman.
12. Has good practical knowledge
of British law.
When l had got SC far in my list, I
threw it into the fire in despair. "If I
can only find what tho fellow is driving
at by reconciling all these accomplish
ments and discovering 4 calling which
needs them all, " said to myself, Il
may as we'll give up the attempt at
once. "
see that have alluded above to his
powers upon tho violin. These were very
remarkable, hut as eccentric as all his
other accomplishments That no could
play pieces, and difficult pieces, knew
we'll, because at my request he has play
ed me some Of Mendelssohn s "Lieder"
and other favcrites.
When left to himself, however, he
would seldom produce any music or at
tempt any recognized air. Leaning back
in his armchair of an evening, he would
close his eyes and scrape carelessly at
the fiddle, which was thrown across his
knee. Sometimes the chords were sono-
rous and melancholy. Occasionally they
were fantastic and cheerful Clearly
they reflected the thoughts which pos
sessed him, but whether the music aided
those thoughts Or whether the playing
was simply tho result of whim or
fancy was more than could determine.
/ might have rebelled against these ex-
asperating solos had it not been that he
usually terminated them by playing in
quick succession whole series of my
favorite airs as slight compensation
for the trial upon my patience.
During the first week or so we had no
callers, and had begun to think that
my companion was as friendless aman
as was myself. Presently, however, !
found that he had many acquaintance
and those in the most different classes
of society. There was one little, .sallow,
rat faced, dark eyed fellow who was in
troduced to mo as Mr.. Lestrade, and
who came three or four times in q sin
gle week. Ono morning young girl
called, fashionably dressed, and staid
for half an hour or more. The same aft.
ernoon brought gray headed, seedy
visitor, looking like Jew peddler, who
appeared to mo to bo much excited, and
who was closely followed by slipshod
elderly woman. On another occasion an
old white haired gentleman had an in
terview with my companion, and on an
other railway porter in his velveteen
uniform. When any of these nondescript
individuals put in an appearance, Sher-
lock Holmes used to beg for the use Of
the sitting room, and I would retire to
my bedroom. He always apologized to
me for putting me to this Inconvenience.
II have to use this room as place of
business" he said, "and these people
are my clients" Again I had an oppor-
tunity of asking him point blank quos-
tion, and again my delioacy prevented
mo from forcing another man to oonfide
in me. l imagined at the time that he
had some strong reason for not alluding
to it, but he soon dispelled the idea by
coming round to the subject of his own
accord.
1t was upon the 4th of March, as I
have good reason to remember, that I
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 unreasonable
petulance of mankind / rang the bell
and gave curt iEtimation that I was
ready. Then I picked up magazine
from the table and ATTEMPTED to while
away the time with it, while my COM
panion munched silently at his toast
One of the articles had pencil mark at
the heading and I 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 systematic ex-
animation of all that came in his way.
1t struck me as being remarkable mix
ture of shrewdness and of absurdity.
The reasoning was close and intense,
but the deductions appeared to me to
be farfetched and exaggerated. The
writer claimed by momentary expires.
sion, twitch of a muscle or glance
of an eye to fathom mans inmosi
thoughts. Deceit, according to him, was
an impossibility in the case of one train
ed to observation and analysis. His con
clusions were as infallible as so many
propositions of Euclid. So startling
would his results appear to the uniniti
ated that until they learned the processes
by which he had arrived at them the,
might well consider him as NEGRO
mancer.
Pitchers CastoFiae
! Children Cry fol