Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-30
LOST TEMPER AND BOOK

A few weeksoago 81 well-known scientific
man OF Washington, employed in profess
sional capacityi by the government-naval
branch-became angry at his man-servant.
The scientific man is somewhat noted for
the occasional acerbity of his temper. The
black man servant had forgotten to do
something or other that he had been told
to do on this occasion. and the scientific
man taxed hifh wifi the omission in his
| library. The black man stood mute. and.
what was worse, he grinned-for he had
been in the EMPLOY of the man of science
for many years, and was thoroughly ia
miliar with his eceentricities. The man
servants grim ohowever. and his indisposi-
ton to say a.fythingVto excuse himself, so
enraged the testy and short-tempered man
| of science that he picked up a book that
was lying on the library table and hurled
It at the darkey's head. The colored man
oodged the book, and it went sailing out Of
the window, which was wide open for air.
ing purposes, immoderate quantities of
| fresh air being another of the scientists
eccentricities.
Now, go and get that book" the SCI
enlist shouted at his man servant.
Inc latter raced down to the front Of
the house and searched the sidewalk for
the book, but he couldn't find it. 1t had
| obviously been. picked up Immediately by
some passer-by who believed in the maxim
| that "fndin's is keepin's.".
1he scientist, as soon as he, cooled down,
Degan TO wonder what book 1t was that he
mad thrown out of. the window. He began
little investigation and che was Mortified
10 nnd that rare and aauaint little vol
ume on mathematics. published in Copen-
nagen IN the eighteenth century, was miss
ing. He had paid $50 for the book in Lon
aon, and 1t was, as said, exceedingly rare
he remembered having been looking over
the volume on the afternoon before. and
having left 1t on the table There was no
oounl that that was the book he had
thrown into the street In his temper.
J.. Inc next time 1-feel that 1t is absolute
~ necessary to throw things he reflected,
pensiye.''
He was very sore. for a fact. over the
loss OF the book, and sorer still over the
away. -.
A few afternoons ago this man OF science
was rummaging in a secondhand book
snop on + street when he was delighted to
he had thrown away
How much?" he inquired Of the pro-
prietor OF the shop, holding up the book.
:. em.Well, I guess We can let You have
II Tor $40, prOfeSsor-its pretty rare as
you know, and l could probably get SIS or
even more for it if held ON to it a while
longer"
The man of science, delighted at the
chance or picking up duplicate of his lost
book at so moderate figure, pulled out
his wallet and paid for it on the spot He
carried the book home under his arm, and
when he reached his library he sat down
to look the volume over and to see if it was
as good copy as he had thrown out OF
his window.
When he opened the book up and began
to rufhe the pages. card dropped out
onto the floor. The scientific man picked
1t up and his amusement. not to say his
disgust, when he saw that the card was
one Of his own cannot be pictured. He
looked through the book hastily then, and
1t took him no time at all to see that it
was the veritable copy that he had thrown
out of his window
'Um-forty dollars worth of temper-um
Il think shall spend my ways" his
daughter-whe tells the story with good
deal OF ENCOURAGEMENT him say to
himself And the daughter adds that the
black man servant is now becoming posi-
lively worried over the sunny disposition
of the man Of science. He fears that his
employer is i'll or something.