The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-25

alluded; and his thin, haWk-Nke nose
gave his whole expression an air OF
alertness and decision. His chin, too,
had the prominence n squarenes-
which mark the mar of determination.
His hands were invariably blotted with
ink and stained with chemicals, yet he
was possessed of extraordinary deli
/ cacy of touch, as / frequently had oc-
casion to observe when | watched him
manipulating his fragile philosophical
Instruments.
The reader may set me down as a
hopeless busybody, when l confess how
much this man stimulated my curl
osity, and how often | ~endeavored to
break through the reticence which he
showed on all that concerned himself.
Before p%ronouncing judgment, how
ever, be 1t remembered how object
less was my life and o little there
was to engage my attention. My health
forbade Inc from venturing out unless
the weather was exceptionally genial,
and l had no friends who would call
upon me and break the monotony Of
my daily existence. Under these cir
cumstances, l eagerly hailed the little
mystery which rung around my COM
panion, and spent much of my time
in endeavoring to unravel 1t.
He was not studying medicine. He
had himself, in reply to a question,
confirmed Stamford's opinion upon
that point. Neither did he appear to
have pursued any course of reading
which might fit him for a degree In
science or any other recognized portal
which would give him an entrance into
the learned world. Yet his zeal foi
certain studies was remarkable. and
within eccentric limits his knowledge
was so extraordinary ample and mi
hute that his observations have fairly
astounded me. Surely no man would
work so hard to attain such precise in
formation unless he had some definite
end in view. Desultory readers are
seldom remarkable for the eXactness
of their learning. No man burdens his
mind with small matters unless he has
some very good reason for doing so.
His ignorance was as remarkable as
his knowledge. OF contemporary liter
allure, philosophy and politics he APP
peared to know next to nothing. Upon
my quoting Thomas Carlyle, he in
quired in the naiyest way who he
might be and what he had done. My
surprise reached a climax, however,
when l found incidentally that he was
Ignorant of the C%opernican theory and
of the composition Of the solar system.
That any civilized human being In this
nineteenth century should not be
aware that the earth Travelled round
the sun appeared to be to me such an
extraordinary fact that l could hardly
realize IT..
You appear to be astonished," h.
said. smiling at my expression of sur
prise. Now that I do know 1t, I shall
do my best to forget It."
ITO forget i'll"
you see." he explained, "I consider
that a mans brain originally is like a
little empty attic, and you have to
stock 1t with such furniture as you
choose. A TOOL takes In all the lumber
of every sort that he comes across, so
that the knowledge which might be
useful to him gets crowded out, or at
best is jumbled up with a lot of other
things. SO that he has a difficulty In
laying his hands up 1t. Now the skill
full workman 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 thai little
room has elastic walls and can dis
tend to any extent. Depend Upon It,
there comes a time when for every adj
dition of knowledge you forget some>
thing that you knew before. 1t Is of
the highest importance. therefore, not
to have useless facts elbowing out the
useful ones"
But the solar system!" ! protested.
what the deuce is it to me?" he in
terrupted, impatiently; you say than
we go round the sun. If we went round
the moon, II YOU not make a penny
worth Of difference to me or to my
work"
I was on the point of asking him
what that work might be. but ONE
thing in his manner showed me that
the question would he an unwelcome
one. I pondered over our short con-
~versation, however, and e~ndeavored to
draw my deductions from It. He said
that he would acquire no knowledge
which did not bear upon this object.
Therefore, all the knowledge which he
possessed was such as would be useful
to him. ! enumerated in my own mind
all the various points upon which he
had shown me that he was excep-
~tionaIly well Informed. I ever took a
pencil and jotted them down. I could
not help smiling at the document when
I had completed II. 1t ran in this way:
Sherlock Holmes-his limits.
l. Knowledge OF literature-Nil.
>. knowledge of philosophy-NiL
3. knowledke of astronomy-Nil.
4. Knowledge of politics-Feeble.
5. knowledge of botany-Variable.
Well up in b~elladonna, opium and
poisons generally. Knows nothing of
practical gardening.
6. knowledge of geology-Practical.
but limited. Tells at a glance differ
ent soils from each other. After walks
has shown me splashes upon his trous-
ers. and told me by their color ana
consistence In what part of London he
had received them.
/. knowledge Of chemistry Pro-
found.
8. knowledge of anatomy-Accurate.
but un~systematic.
.. knowledge of sensational litera-
ture-Immense. He appears to know
every detail of every horror perpe-
trated in the century.
10. Plays the violin we'll.
II. Is an expert single-stick player,
Aa1r aAJ rx.vo~Inn.a