Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-07-29
INFLUENCE OF A BOOK.
Yucident in the Early Life OF "eN'
Known Scholar.

Ponies line. Just as the twig Is Deht
the ira4's inclined" has caused muth
apprehension to nervous parents WI"
have sometimes mistaken boy Slight
curvature for permanent ln'llNa'loi'.
Perhaps their anxiety may DE so''h''
by reading about the early lie OF Jo-
seph Henry. the first secretary OF me
Smithsonian Institution. ana Il -'holaF
whose contributions 10 electrical SCI
ence enabled Prof. Morse to invent the
modern telegraph.
When Joseph was 8 years old his fath-
or died, and he was forced to go to work
in a country store. His employer.
good hearted man. allowed him his AZ
ternoons to attend school; but the boy
showed little inclination for learning
and no fondness for books.
For two or three years there was
nothing TO distinguish him from any
"chore- boy" but one day. in chasing
rabbit, he crawled through the broken
foundation wall of the village churth,
and attracted by glimmer of light.
made his way up into the vestib'l!e 81
the building. where the village library
was kept. Young Henry took down
volume. which happened to be Brooke
Fool Of Quality" n novel with Il moral
purpose, and became interested IN the
story.
That was the first book ever open
ell Voluntarily said he. telling the in
MI - Ia nI "a
returned again and again by the under
ground passage to the library. and re-
called himself upon the fiction therein.
| When about II years of age young
Henry left the country store and went
back to his mothers house in Albany,
where he found temporary employment
with a silversmith. He developed
great fondness for the theatcr: obtained
entrance behind the scenes and learned
the methods Of producing stage effects
| He Joined the "Rostrum," an amateur
theatrical society. and distinguished
himself by his ingenuity in stage man'
agement. The failure Of his employer
gave him time TO write a comedy and 10
dramatic a serious story.
Doubtless his mother looked with ap'
prehension on her sons inclination to-
ward the theater and playwriting: hn,
1t was temporary. The bent Of his mind
was disclosed to himself when he took
up. during a slight illness. a book enti
tied Lectures on Experimental Philos
ophy. Astronomy and Chemistry, III
tended chiefly for the use Of Young Per
sons. by &. Gregory" The volume LED
him to the road in which he walked fol
sixty-thre years. After his death |,
was found in his library. with the fol
lowing inscription written upon the fly
leaf:
This book. although by no means &
profound work. has. under Providence
exerted remarkable influence upO1
my life. 1t accidentally fell into my
hands when l was about Ii years oil
and was the first work ever read will
attention. 1t opened to me a new worl,
Of thought and enjoyment: invested
things before almost unnoticed witt
the highest interest; fixed my mind o.
the study of nature. and caused me t,
resolve at the time Of reading that
would Immediately commence to de
vote my life to the acquisition of knowl
edge"
The boy at once resigned from tn,
''ROstrum.' and ceased writing plays
He attended a night school at first. the,
he entered the Albany Academy. wher
he paid for his own tuition by teachin,
a. district school," Subsequently. Will
serving as assistant in the academy, H.
was made Its professor Of mathematics
became interested in electro gnet
ism. and eveioped the principles which
when applied to Morse's telegraph
made it effective Mt distance. His sui
sequent brilliant career as Il professo
In Princeton College and secretary O
the Smithsonian Institution Illustrate
the tremendous influence of one goo
book.