24 



learnt from some of those whom I see about me to-night. 

 My one regret is that our Society is jiot larger in numbers, 

 for no one who joins us need fear unkindly criticism, 

 welcome and generous help is assured to the veriest' 

 beginner. 



We can none of us set up to be a "Know all," but thei 

 next best thing is to know a great deal about one subject, 

 and make it our own, and to know a little about every- 

 thing else that we can fit in to our scheme of life. 

 Cleverness has been 'defined as "the power of paying atten- 

 tion," but I would go even further and call it the power of 

 paying attention to details. Everything to the minutest 

 particular should find a place in the orderly mind of the 

 man who will achieve success, and who would speak with 

 authority; the skipped page as often as not contains 

 the answer to our examination question. In this our 

 Society can be seen the evidences of painstaking atten- 

 tion to details, beautiful preparations, beautifully finished. 



The butterfly, the wayside flower, the shell upon the 

 sea shore, the grain of sand — they are all the more 

 beautiful to us in that the microscope has made them our 

 daily companions; nay, more than that, our intimate 

 friends. 



Amidst the grey surroundings of our daily work 

 the commonest objects may be found to be things of 

 interest and beauty, when viewed as we view them in this 

 room. 



The microscope is no longer a mere toy, it has 

 become the inseparable companion of the man of science. 



