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The Professor and His Family

           Thefactis,thatduringthecourseofhislecturesattheJohannæum,theProfessoroftencametoacompletestandstill; hefoughtwithwilfulwordsthatrefusedtopasshisstrugglinglips,suchwordsasresistanddistendthecheeks,andatlastbreakoutintotheunasked-forshapeofaroundandmostunscientificoath: thenhisfurywouldgraduallyabate. 

           Nowinmineralogytherearemanyhalf-Greekandhalf-Latinterms,veryhardtoarticulate,andwhichwouldbemosttryingtoapoet’smeasures. Idon’twishtosayawordagainstsorespectableascience,farbethatfromme. True,intheaugustpresenceofrhombohedralcrystals,retinasphalticresins,gehlenites,Fassaites,molybdenites,tungstatesofmanganese,andtitaniteofzirconium,why,themostfacileoftonguesmaymakeaslipnowandthen. 

           Itthereforehappenedthatthisvenialfaultofmyuncle’scametobeprettywellunderstoodintime,andanunfairadvantagewastakenofit; thestudentslaidwaitforhimindangerousplaces,andwhenhebegantostumble,loudwasthelaughter,whichisnotingoodtaste,noteveninGermans. AndiftherewasalwaysafullaudiencetohonourtheLiedenbrockcourses,Ishouldbesorrytoconjecturehowmanycametomakemerryatmyuncle’sexpense. 

           NeverthelessmygoodunclewasamanofdeeplearningafactIammostanxioustoassertandreassert. Sometimeshemightirretrievablyinjureaspecimenbyhistoogreatardourinhandlingit;butstillheunitedthegeniusofatruegeologistwiththekeeneyeofthemineralogist. Armedwithhishammer,hissteelpointer,hismagneticneedles,hisblowpipe,andhisbottleofnitricacid,hewasapowerfulmanofscience. Hewouldreferanymineraltoitsproperplaceamongthesixhundredelementarysubstancesnowenumerated,byitsfracture,itsappearance,itshardness,itsfusibility,itssonorousness,itssmell,anditstaste. 

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