^RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 339 



however, met with but a feeble response, and the results were 

 on the whole disappointing. 



And then gradually, little by little, the interest of the 

 outside public nagged and deadened ; the meetings and excur- 

 sions were scantily attended, so that as a consequence they 

 became less frequent and separated by longer intervals. Only 

 a very small band of energetic workers remained faithful and 

 staunch, and even they became discouraged at last. Why 

 expend labour, time and thought in trying to interest people 

 who refused to be interested ? At the annual meeting held 

 in 1887 the Report of the Council held it to be "a matter of 

 some congratulation that the Society is still in existence, and 

 that a small number of the inhabitants are found who continue 

 to take an interest in scientific matters, and to fulfil the object 

 for which the Society was founded." The following year 

 showed no impiwement. The number of members had 

 dwindled down to a couple of dozen, fewer indoor meetings 

 than usual were held, and only two excursions took place 

 during the year. 



This was certainly a very disheartening and lamentable 

 condition of affairs ; but the same thing has happened a 

 hundred times before. In all small communities the number 

 of scientific men and women is necessarily limited, and of 

 these only a small proportion are energetic workers ; for the 

 true worker, like the true poet, is born, not made. Well, the 

 reiterated announcement of fresh researches and discoveries, 

 of old theories overthrown and new lines of study opened up, 

 all these things, however valuable per se, fail to sustain month 

 after month the interest and attention of persons who are 

 quite deficient in scientific training and bias, and who cannot 

 without great mental effort follow the intricacies and techni- 

 calities of the subject. These persons are perfectly willing to 

 admit that scientific observations have their value, but they 

 frankly confess their inability to appreciate it ; and so, when 

 once the charm of novelty has passed off they grow weary, 

 and their interest in the matter fades away. 



There is no doubt that at the close of the year 1888 the 

 Society was in a condition which may be described as anrcmic, 

 if not moribund ; but the timely resolve of the Council to 

 preserve a permanent record of its proceedings in the form of 

 annual Transactions, quickened it into life again, and gave a 

 fresh impulse to its dormant energies. In these days a scien- 

 tific society which publishes nothing is practically non-existent; 

 its labour is wasted, however important and trustworthv it 

 may be. 



