6 Boyhood, Early Schooling, and Teaching 



O woman crowned! How much I owe to thee! 

 For thou didst teach the boy, as best of creeds, 

 Dearly to love great books and noble deeds, 

 And through their subtle alchemy be free. 



The torch of learning kindled thus in me 

 Burns on, a sacred flame, which inward breeds 

 A hope that somehow answers to my needs, 

 And widens toward the universal sea. 



In that large world of saints and seraphim, 

 That to our mortal eyes remaineth dim, 

 Would I could trace thy goings, spirit mother! 



In vain ! But I have learned thy lessons well, 



And when, in Death's Great Silence, muted, I dwell, 



Many whom I have helped shall call me ' Brother ' ! ' 



Books and journals of scientific as well as literary interest were 

 included in his reading. Among the journals were Appletorfs 

 Journal of Literature, the Journal of Applied Chemistry, and The 

 American Naturalist. Among his books were Hu77iboldt' s Library 

 of Popular Science Literature, works on science and art, " Dick's 

 Complete Edition of Shakespere's Works," and books by other 

 masters. 



On March 20, 1870, lie mentioned in his diary having received a 

 copy of Asa Gray's " School and Field Book of Botany." For many 

 years he was undecided between literature and science in his choice 

 of a career for himself. In fact, once deciding in favor of science, 

 he next experienced difiiculty in choosing between its various 

 branches: botany, chemistry, physics, and geology. His interest in 

 biology seems to have been early bound with his enjoyment of the 

 study of plants and animals. While quite young, he received a 

 present of a two-volume " Hydropathic Encyclopedia." The medi- 

 cal profession also, because it relieved suffering, appealed strongly 

 as another possible career for himself. 



One afternoon he would read Thomas Gray's poems, and the 

 next, experiment with his crude chemical apparatus and para- 

 phernalia. Erwin ordered his chemicals from reputable companies. 

 His investigations covered some points of knowledge useful to 

 him later in experimental research. For instance, he^ "read in 



' May 30, 1924. 



* E. F. Smith, Mechanism of tumor growth in crowngall, Jour. Agri. Research 

 8 (5): 165 ff., at p. 171, 1917. 



