274 Clear Skies and Cloudy. 



his neighbor in his own estimation, and leads to 

 what is thoroughly to be deplored, a very low 

 estimate of our neighbor's capabilities. On the 

 other hand, too great confidence in our own 

 powers as surely leads to so grave an error as to 

 underestimate the strength of others. We have 

 need to be very humble when self-measurement 

 is called for, but do not let the pendulum swing 

 too far in the other direction. I long ago 

 elected myself the entire faculty of a college 

 whereat my own conscience is the only student. 

 Success calls for rational confidence in our own 

 powers, and the development of these powers 

 must not be left wholly with others. We should 

 be reasonably ambitious to express our own 

 views, and not merely reflect the impressions 

 and beliefs of others. We need not cultivate 

 incredulity, but a statement being made, verify 

 it where possible rather than blindly accept, 

 and particularly is this called for in the inter- 

 pretation of Nature's near-at-hand and readily 

 approached phenomena. We cannot all own 

 telescopes, and must accept our astronomy from 

 the fortunate few who nightly read the starry 

 skies and trace the comet's course ; but we can 



