Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-12

making their first appearance under INC
sacred dome tremble before TINS aus.e[e
dilettanteism, as Colletet trembled De-
fore the bishop. -,
it's dome, its circling portico and crouch
ing marble lions that guard ITS 1ron
fenced steps, is the old College OF Four
Nations, built by Mazarin. ;,
Many call 1t, loosely, tho Academy.
But it is the institute, composed OF nve
academies from old royal days:
The French Academy, founded oy Rlch-
elieu in 1885.
The Academy of Inscriptions and Bellies
Lettres, founded by Colbert in 1865
The Academy of Sciences, founded by
The Academy of the Beaux-Arts. con-
tinuing the old Royal Academy OF Paint
ing and Sculpture.
litical Sciences, founded by the first
French republic in 1898.
All but the first named proclaim their
objects In their titles. The object OF the
French Academy as set down in its char
ter was to regulate the language" Be
ing composed, not only Of great writ
ers, but also of gentlemen of high taste
and social situation. it's authority seemed
natural: yet it fell down in its most ia
nous attempt to regulate when 1t for
babe the people to say: 'Shut the door. "
"One pushes the door, and one shuts
ones ROOM ran the edict in elegant
verse but when the people continued to
say shut the door" it stopped 'regu-
ating" and was contented to follow;
solemnly registering as tOdayS good
French the slang of yesterday.
So with the four other academies.
They do not pretend to lead the learn
ing of the day. They follow. They re-
cord. They consecrate.
1t is notorious that their members have
always done their great worlds work
before being elected is almost equlva-
is so true that election is almost equiVa-
lent to being shelved.
And it is almost necessary, IL you fea-
What. then, would the idomitable Nine.
Sklodowski-Curle have to DO IN that
boat. as the French say, in case she had
been elected?
Helas. such is the spirit of the pro-
lessons daughter. craving this one conse-
Grafton Of the corporation, while despis-
ing riches. worldly situation, even COM
petence for old age or children!
Such was her own father, Sklodowski.
professor of physics in the University of
Warsaw Thirty years ago a little giri
played in his laboratory. Instead OF dolls
she had test tubes. retorts and cru
cibles AS she grew older hers was
the delight to be washer all day
cleaning apparatus after the experiments
were over. Quietly the little girl would
rinse and scour TASKS, beakers, mortars,
burettes, pipettes. Little by little she
helped make experiments. Books of
physics were her fairy stories. Happy
life. Her little daughters Irene and Eve
are having the same good times at this
moment
Then the little Warsaw household broke
up.
his two daughters, and they had to strug-
gle with the world.
The elder sister went to Austria and be-
came famous doctor. and she who was
to marry Pierre Curie made her way to
Paris, where for several years she en-
dured the most grinding poverty and
painful hardships. Lack of money forced
her to pursue her studies in the Munich
pal Working-claSs Technical School. Yet
see how it turned out! In the laboratory
there her wonderful capacity attracted
Curie
Their marriage was perfect one. To-
gether they lived for science Together
they received the Nobel science award.
And woman writer's from Paris never let
it be forgotten how Prof. Curie refused
the cross of the Legion of Honor because
a similar decoration was not offered to
his wife.
He did not, however. refuse member
ship in the Academy of Sciences because
she was not asked to come along with
him. No, the PROFESSIONAL flesh and blood