Now let no carpist imagine I have dealt in hyperbole, LITTLE 

 or hand-illumined the facts I have merely stated some JOURNEYS 

 simple truths about the early career of John Fiske. 

 QOne might imagine that with all his wonderful 

 achievements this youth would be top-heavy and 

 a most insufferable prig. The fact was, he was a fine 

 rollicking, healthy young man much given to pranks, 

 and withal generous and lovable. 



He was admitted to Harvard without examination, 

 for his fame had preceded him. Students and pro- 

 fessors alike looked at him in wonder. 

 At Cambridge, as if to keep good his record, he studied 

 thirteen hours a day, for twelve months in the year. 

 He ranged through every subject in the catalog, and 

 all recorded knowledge was to him familiar. 

 Prophecies were freely made that he would eclipse 

 Sir Isaac Newton and Humboldt. But there were 

 others who had a clearer vision. 



John Fiske made a decided success in life and left his 

 personality distinctly impressed upon his time, but it 

 is no disparagement to say of him that autumn did not 

 fulfill the promise of spring. And Fiske himself in his 

 single original contribution to the evolution crusade 

 explains the reason why. 



Professor Santayanna of Harvard once said that John 

 Fiske made three great scientific discoveries, as fol- 

 lows : 



1. As you lengthen a pigeon's bill, you increase the 

 size of its feet. 



2. White tomcats with blue eyes are always deaf. 



139 



