158 The American Geologist. March, isdo 
But a geologist has to face a great many disagreeable duties, 
and if he hasn't the moral courage to tell the plain, unvarnished 
truth, and to take the consequences, when a white lie would 
smooth matters over all round, he will find his troubles in- 
creasing as time goes on. One lie, whether it is a white one or 
a black one, only makes room for two others, and the man who 
makes two lies grow where but one grew before deserves no 
good of mankind. 
Those who are at once workers in science and teachers of 
science know how difficult it sometimes is to draw a sharp 
line between what we know and what we simply believe, but 
as far as possible this distinction should always be kept before 
the minds of students, and no effort should be spared to pre- 
vent that dazzling of their minds which prevents them from 
weighing evidence and from distinguishing between simple 
truth and simple figments of the imagination. 
And now just a word about our responsibilities to our own 
intellects. Intellect is the tool with which the geologist has 
to do his work. If that tool is bent out of shape or dulled by 
improper use it cannot perform its functions properly. It is 
highly essential therefore that he keep his intellect unim- 
paired. He should strive to keep his mind free from those tricks 
of logic, rhetoric and sentiment by which so many of us allow 
ourselves to be imposed upon. Those of us who are natural- 
ists and investigators at heart, as well as by profession, are 
not satisfied with declaring, like the humorist, that we are 
"open to conviction," while parenthetically we add, ''but we'd 
just like to see the man who can convince us." We are bound 
by every sentiment of honesty to go where our evidence leads 
us, whether it takes us to a pleasant place or not. Truth 
must be our companion whether she be an agreeable or a dis- 
agreeable one — a handsome or an ugly one. We cannot hon- 
estly say to reason, " thus far shalt thou go, but no farther." 
We can't reasonably follow the science of geology to a certain 
point and then abandon it for the divining rod or spiritualis- 
tic seances or clap-trap appliances of any kind. The man who 
has no notion of accepting the results of his reasoning would 
just as well not reason at all, while the man who undertakes 
to reason within certain limits insults his intelligence. All 
honest men are seeking the truth ; and is it not our duty to 
help others in this search when we can? We may be sure 
