156 TILLERS OF THE GROUND CHAP. 



tired as we get tired, who felt depressed at failure 

 as we feel depressed, who in his inmost heart loved 

 short cuts as we all love them, and had to learn 

 slowly, as we all must learn, that short cuts are 

 generally longer than the weary straight road. 



When we read that so-and-so produced some 

 useful new plants, or found out some interesting 

 facts, we are apt to think that it must -have been 

 nearly as easy for him to make the new plants or 

 to get the new facts as it is for us to read about 

 them. Before going on, then, to some facts about 

 cultivated plants and how they have been obtained, 

 let us hear a little story about one piece of work 

 and how it was done. It is not a story about 

 plants, but the principle is the same, for it is a 

 story of scientific work, and in principle all scientific 

 work is alike. 



There was once a doctor he afterwards became 

 a very famous doctor, but at this time he was just 

 beginning his work. He was not at all satisfied 

 with the way in which doctors treated certain kinds 

 of accidents, and he wanted to improve these ways. 

 For a long, long time he worked, helped by his 

 students, in his workroom, trying to find a better 

 way. At last, after long search, he thought he 

 had found what he was seeking. 



At this time he had in his hospital a railwayman 

 who had been hurt badly hurt in an accident. 



