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of it to intellectual recreative study, such as was embraced within 

 the sphere of the Society's operations. Such a cultivation of the 

 mind in early life would supply them with those delightful resources, 

 for the leisure of later years, when men desire to relinquish their 

 hold of their ordinary avocations, and when many a man found to 

 his sorrow that he has few ideas, save those supplied by his ledger 

 and his cash book. 



The occasional but regular study and investigation of one or 

 more departments of Natural History cannot but impart a healthy 

 and beneficial tone to the mind, for the man that is dealing with 

 and marshalling facts for the purpose of arriving at what is an 

 exact scientific truth, must jjcr force of such mental training, 

 become a lover of truthfulness. George EHot very aptly says 

 that " Science is properly more scrupulous than dogma. Dogma 

 gives a charter to mistake, but the very breath of Science is a 

 contest with mistake, and must keep the conscience alive." 



He was not asking them to devote all their spare time to 

 Science. This would be neither reasonable nor desirable ; neither 

 was it advisable to give exclusive attention to one subject alone, 

 be that subject even their source of living. He could not do 

 better than recommend for their perusal a series of very able 

 articles from the pen of Dr. Kichardson on " National Health," 

 appearing in Good Words for the last few months, so full of strong 

 common sense and wisdom. 



Speaking of the tendency there is of working in grooves, and 

 attaining what is called perfection in special departments of Art, 

 Science, and Literature, he says — " To some extent this division is 

 perhaps a necessity, but carried into such minuteness as at present 

 exists, it is hurtful beyond expression. The ideal of individual 

 perfection in the performance of the one particular art or craft, 

 without diversity of occupation,— that is to say, the devotion of a 

 life to a single intent or purpose, is of all exercises the most 

 ruinous to the vital nervous power. It brings the whole nervous 



