636 HENRY A. ROWLAND 



to the world when the amber was rubbed, but the world knew not the 

 language in which to give it orders, and was too lazy to learn it. The 

 spirit of the amber appeared before them to receive its orders, but was 

 only gazed at in silly wonder, and retired in disgust. They had but to 

 order it and it would have gone to the uttermost parts of the earth with 

 'almost the velocity of light to do their bidding. But in their ignorance 

 they knew not its language. For two thousand years they did not study 

 it, and when they then began to do so it took them two hundred and fifty 

 years to learn the language sufficiently to make a messenger of it. And 

 even now we are but children studying its ABC. It is knowledge, 

 more knowledge, that we want. 



I have briefly recounted the advances which we have now made in 

 one science, and, however beautiful it may appear, we have soon reached 

 the limit of the known, and have stood in wonder before the vast un- 

 known. For very much of our science we see no practical applications, 

 but we value it no less on that account. We study it because we have 

 been gifted with minds whose exercise delights us, and because it seems 

 to us one of the highest and noblest of employments. And we know by 

 the history of the past that the progress of the world depends on our 

 pursuit, and that practical applications, such as the world has never even 

 conceived of, await us. It is necessary that some should go before to 

 clear the way for the world's advance. 



This is the work of the pure scientist; to him the problem of the uni- 

 verse is worth devoting his life, and he looks upon wealth as only add- 

 ing to his means of research. He hopes not to solve the problem him- 

 self, but is contented if he may add some small portion to human knowl- 

 edge; if he may but do his part in the march of human progress. He 

 looks not for practical applications, but he knows full well that his most 

 abstruse discoveries will finally be made useful to mankind at large, and 

 so troubles himself no further about it. 



The science which he creates is studied by others. Their minds are 

 educated by it and their hearts entranced by its beauties. And some 

 are led to devote their lives to its further advancement. But the whole 

 world benefits by it intellectually. The wayward spirit of the amber 

 has vanished forever, and prosaic, law-abiding electricity has taken its 

 place even in the estimation of the most ignorant. The world has ad- 

 vanced, and in great part from the study of science. 



Then comes the practical man, who sees that other benefits can be 

 reaped besides those of pure intellectual enjoyment. While the inves- 

 tigator toils to understand the problem of the universe, the practical 



