i86 THE MICROSCOPE. 



Carlyle's Triumph Over Difficulties. — In a strong and 

 entertaining view of Carlyle's life and character, John Burroughs 

 says, in the Midsummer (August) Century: "Carlyle owed every- 

 thing to his power of will, and to his unflinching adherence to prin- 

 ciple. He was in no sense a lucky man, had no good fortune, was 

 borne by no current, was favored and helped by no circumstance 

 whatever. His life from the first was a steady pull against both 

 wind and tide. He confronted all the cherished thoughts, beliefs, 

 tendencies, of his time; he spurned and insulted his age and 

 country. No man ever before poured out such withering scorn upon 

 his contemporaries. The opinions and practices of his time, in 

 politics, religion, and literature, were as a stubbly, brambly field, to 

 which he would fain apply the match and clear the ground for a 

 nobler crop. He would purge and fertilize the ground by fire. His 

 attitude was at once, like that of the old prophets, one of warning 

 and rebuking. He was refused every public place he ever aspired 

 to — every college and every editorial chair. Every man's hand was 

 against him. He was hated by the Whigs and feared by the Tories- 

 He was poor, proud, uncompromising, sarcastic; he was morose, 

 dyspeptic, despondent, compassed about by dragons and all manner 

 of menacing forms; in fact, the odds were fearfully against him, and 

 yet he succeeded, and succeeded on his own terms. He fairly con- 

 quered the world — yes, and the flesh and the devil." 



The Pillar Slide — A New Slide for the Microscope. — 

 Every microscopist knows the difficulty of estimating exactly the 

 amount of fluid which will completely fill the space between a cover 

 and the slide, and consequently a bibulant must be applied to absorb 

 the excess almost always present. This takes a little time, which, 

 to one who has many examinations to make, and who is otherwise 

 pressed, is a matter of some importance. 



The following is a description of a slide intended to obviate 

 this difficulty: 



Take a small, thick cover (round or square, as desired,) and 

 cement it on the centre of a slide with Canada balsam. Let this 

 harden thoroughly, so that the cover will not slip during warm 

 weather, and also to prevent water insinuating itself between the 

 glasses during the frequent washing to which it will be subjected. 

 Of course it would be better to have these little pillars ground upon 



