Newark post., 1911-08-23
OLD SHIpTON
The Scientific Method
CHAPTER XVI

iii'ii 8 JiiiiSsi iiSi iiiiS bSiiiiiA
her-ior the moment Marian
took off her little mob cap where
in she had been busting her hus-
bands professional property, and
sat at the feet of his wisdom, to
learn.
"A woman," she remarked, 'us-
ually arrives as the French say,
by means OF her perception, or in
tuition. A man, on the contrary,
reasons all around circle, often
coming out at the point from
which he started. You have now,
Professor Devine, had an exam
pie OF a womans method in The
Story OF the Man Whose Genius
was Immortal. |. should be pleas
ed to hear i'll return, a clearly de-
fined exposition OF the Scientific
Method, so dear to your heart"
Now, it is a matter of history
that Robert Devine entered by
the straight and narrow door of
Cornell University, at the 4ge ,.
sixteen, and that he did so with
colors flying. 1t is not SO we'll
known, however, that he Hunked
in spelling, and had to pay a coach
an entire summer before nc ,..
ceeded i'll overthrowing the foe.
OF course, he slew the traitor, for
the time, at least, because Robert
was OF fighting blood, the same as
that o: Admiral Devine who still
commanded fleet.
1t was some consolation that his
brilliant sister who had defeated
Harvey Melon in the contest for
valedictory honors at Old Ship
ton College, was afflicted in the
same manner. Although she s.i-
terward flashed through Radcliffe
and even the University of Berlin
where she was the only woman
student of Science in laboratory
with eight men-Miss Prudence
Devlne of the dark and melting
eyes sometimes did make a mis-
take in her spelling.
Marian, who had none of the
Devlne genius, and talent for &C
qulring information could, never
theless spell down anybody who
would stand up to her.
Accordingly, when Professor
Devine's fine reports for the
United States Geological Survey
were ready to go to press, his wife
casually glanced them over, to
make sure that he had not de-
clared that ''the boarders of the
state were composed of sand,
quartz and mici schist"; for even
Mrs. Caves boarders were not as
hardened as all that.
1t was form of surgery, how
ever, which she performed with
tenderness and zeal, :or had not
Robert written to her long after
their marriage, you are still the
idle OF my heart which seemed a
bit unfair, because Marian was in
dustrious, but was in reality in
tended as sincere praise from the
boy-scientist.
In short, all of Roberts early
papers published in the current
Journals were subjected to the
touching off OF Marian's "liter-
airy style, as forty dollars for a
page or two of illustrated science
would testify. The dollars were
divided. but the glory was all Rob
ert's.
On the occasion with which this
chapter opens Professor Devine
took down one of the doctored
editions which had flowed from
their united brains, and reminded
her of its tenor. He read aloud,
with the absorbed and concentrat-
ed air OF men of his class: The
Scientific Method: For Every
body's Use.
You may think this dull sub
Ject, and quite outside of the in
terest or pleasure of the indiffer-
ent reader: but believe me, YOU
are mistaken, as | shall hope to
convince you if you will give me
your attention for few moments.
Contrary perhaps to your notion
of it, it is in reality very simple;
yet deeply concerns the way in
which we think, study or do our
work. no matter what it may be.
1t is commonly the case that we
must so through the preparatory
schools, and even college before
we learn how to study at all. This
is unfortunate, because as we look
back we realize how much more
we might have gotten out of all
Our opportunities, had we known
how tn ct,,d,r -, the Eret ,1ora