408 A. Century of Science 



cerebration, and gathered them into a class of 

 Insane Literature ; and under this rubric such sec- 

 tions as Circle-Squaring, Perpetual Motion, Great 

 Pyramid, Earth not a Globe, etc., were evidently 

 in their proper place. The name of the class was 

 duly inscribed on the outside of its drawer, and 

 the matter seemed happily disposed of. 



The way of the reformer, however, is beset with 

 difficulties, and it is seldom that his first efforts 

 are crowned with entire success. Not many days 

 had elapsed since this emendation of the catalogue, 

 when one of my assistants brought me the card of 

 a book on the Apocalypse, by a certain Mr. Small- 

 wit, and called my attention to the fact that it was 

 classified as Insane Literature. 



" Very well," I said, " so it is." 



"I don't doubt it, sir," said she; "but the 

 author lives over in Chelsea, and I saw him this 

 morning in one of the alcoves. Perhaps, if he 

 were to look in the catalogue and see how his book 

 is classified, he might n't altogether like it. Then, 

 as I looked a little further along the cards, I came 

 upon this pamphlet by Herr Dummkopf, of Bres- 

 lau, upsetting the law of gravitation ; and do 

 you know? Herr Dummkopf is spending the 

 winter here in Cambridge ! " 



" To be sure," said I, " it was very stupid of me 



