The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-10

postonian friends started forth to travel. They
crossed to England, and In London saw some.
thing Of English hospitals and got some idea
Of English medical practice. Holiness per.
sonal observations do not seem to have
dlssipated the prepossesslon with which he
had written in October, 1883: "As for the
science OF England and France, or rather Paris
and London, to judge by their books and their
students, and the report oftho Intelligent young
men who have seen both-the Fronchmen are
half a century In advance" In the summer of
1888 no made a journey in Italy. and In De-
cember Of the SANE year he landed in New
York. having gained ms much professional
knowledge and skill rs hard work could master
in two winters. and having also learned TO know
the French language almost like his own.
".
We have marked for citation a few extracts
from the letters written from Europe. Under
date OF June 90. 1888, we read Tho truth Is
/ live at Paris just as II / had been there oil my
life, and, indeed, I can hardly conceive Of any
body's living In any other way, go completely
have I naturalized myself. II seems hideous to
think OF more than two meals a day; how could
l ever have dined at 9 o'clock How could l
have put anything to my mouth but a sill
yer fork How could I have survived dinner
without a napkin How could I have break
tasted without drinking white sugar and
water7 1t Is very narrow and ridiculous, and
yet II is very common to hear people taking
the. standard OF their own fancy for that Of
necessity. Ono will tell you that he prefers a
separate plate from his neighbor, and has no
idea OF any napkin but the tablecloth; another
would shudder at an iron tumbler, but is aston
ished that his neiRhbor has an aversion to an
iron fork. Now. as for napkins and silver forks,
tho most ordinary. meanest eating houses In
Paris consider them rs Indispensable; and so
with regard to many things which we consider
as luxuries, they mako a part of ordinary exist
enco with the Partisan" Foreseeing what
might befall himself on his return to Boston,
young Holmes adds: Yet q young man goes
abroad. and perhaps lives for years among
strangers at that part OF his life when tastes
and habits are forming; but II, when he ro-
turns, he would modestly adopt a foreign
custom Mt his table. or venture an opinion even
that his countrymen want refinement In such
or such a point, sober people shake their heads
at tho travelled monkey, and old people draw
the corollary that their Rawky offspring will be
made q puppy by crossing the Atlantic"
Apropos of ways and means, he writes on Dec.
13, 1893: II have told you 1t was all humbug
about living overcheap In Paris. l will say
now that / cannot get along. and that none of
us do get along. without spending at tho rate OF
ABOUT Six or seven thousand francs q year, but,
in the mean time. I am getting q library which
forms part of my stock in trade. 1t is clear
that ] shall be obliged to use my letter of
credit before the first year is out" He pro-
ceeds to inquire. what better can be done with
money than putting the means of instruction,
the certain power of superiority, II not of sue
cess, into the hands OF ones children? Be-
sides, economy, In one sense. is too expensive for
a student. For my part, l say freely that a GER
tain degree Of ease connected with my manner
OF living. q tolerab!y good dinner. a nice book
when l want 1t. and that kind Of comforts
are in the place of theatres and parties,
for which I have less taste than many good
fellows of my acquaintance. l can go home.
II / must, but while l nm here I will
not eat q dinner for twenty-five SOUS and
drink sour wine at n shabby restaurant"
At the same time he protests that he has no
disposition to extravaganza. and that probably
l spend less money on pure qualification than
most of the young men with whom | associate.
To speak definitely, You may consider my cx-
penscs es at least twelve hundred dollars q year
books. Instruments, private instruction (Which
costs n good deaD. and everything included. I
tell you that 1t Is not throwing away money, be-
cause nine-tenths of 1t goes straight into my
head in the shape OF knowledge. 80 To con-
a boy is worth his manure as much as n
potato patch"