The reader may set me down as hopeless busybody, when I confess this man stimulated my curiosity, and how often I endeavoured to break reticence which he showed on all that concerned himself Before pronouncing judgment, however, be it remembered, how objectless was my life, and how little to engage my attention My health forbade me from venturing out unless the weather was exceptionally genial, and I had no friends call upon me and break the monotony daily existence Under these circumstances, I eagerly hailed the little mystery which hung around my companion, and spent much of in endeavouring to unravel it

not studying medicine He had himself, in reply to question, confirmed Stamford's opinion upon that point Neither did he appear pursued any course of reading which might fit him for degree in science or recognized portal which would give him an entrance learned world Yet his zeal for certain studies was remarkable, and within eccentric limits his knowledge was so extraordinarily ample and minute that his observations have fairly astounded me Surely no man would work so hard or attain such precise information unless he had some definite end in view Desultory readers are seldom remarkable exactness learning No man burdens his mind with small matters unless he has some reason for

His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge Of contemporary literature, philosophy and politics he appeared next to nothing Upon my quoting Thomas Carlyle, he inquired naivest way who and what he had done My surprise reached climax, however, when incidentally that ignorant Copernican Theory and composition Solar System That any civilized human being nineteenth century aware earth travelled round the sun appeared such an extraordinary fact that hardly realize it

"You appear astonished," , smiling at my expression of surprise "Now that know it do my best to forget it "

"To forget it ! "

" ," he explained, "I consider that man's brain originally is like little empty attic, and to stock it furniture choose fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so knowledge which useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with lot of other things he has difficulty in laying his hands upon it Now the skilful workman is very careful indeed what he takes into his brain-attic nothing but the tools help him in doing his work, but he has large assortment, and all most perfect order mistake that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent Depend upon it there comes time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that before highest importance, therefore, not useless facts elbowing out the useful ones "

"But the Solar System ! " I protested

"What the deuce ? " he interrupted impatiently; "you say that we go round the sun went round the moon it make pennyworth of difference or to my work "

point of asking him what that work , but something manner showed me question an unwelcome one I pondered over our short conversation, however, and endeavoured to draw my deductions that acquire no knowledge which bear upon his object Therefore all the knowledge which he possessed was such as useful to him I enumerated in my own mind all the various points he had shown me that exceptionally well-informed I even took pencil and jotted them down help smiling document when I had completed it It ran --

SHERLOCK HOLMES -- his limits

1 Knowledge of Literature -- Nil 2 Philosophy -- Nil 3 Astronomy -- Nil 4 Politics -- Feeble 5 Botany -- Variable Well up in belladonna, opium, and poisons generally Knows nothing of practical gardening 6 Geology -- Practical, but limited Tells at glance different soils from After walks has shown me splashes upon his trousers, and told me by their colour and consistence in what part of London he had received them 7 Chemistry -- Profound 8 Anatomy -- Accurate, but unsystematic 9 Sensational Literature -- Immense He appears every detail of every horror perpetrated century 10 Plays the violin well 11 Is an expert singlestick player, boxer, and swordsman 12 Has good practical knowledge of British law

When I had got in my list I threw it fire in despair "If only find what the fellow is driving at by reconciling all these accomplishments, and discovering calling which needs them all," to myself, " give up the attempt at once "

that alluded above powers violin These were very remarkable, but as eccentric as all his other accomplishments That play pieces, and difficult pieces, well, because at my request he has played me some of Mendelssohn's Lieder, and other favourites When left to himself, however, seldom produce any music or attempt any recognized air Leaning back arm-chair of an evening, close his eyes and scrape carelessly fiddle thrown across his knee Sometimes the chords were sonorous and melancholy Occasionally they were fantastic and cheerful Clearly they reflected the thoughts which possessed him, but whether the music aided those thoughts, or whether the playing was simply the result of whim or fancy was more than determine rebelled against these exasperating solos had it not been that he usually terminated them by playing in quick succession whole series favourite airs as slight compensation trial upon my patience

During the first week or so we had no callers, and I had begun that my companion was as friendless man as myself Presently, however, that he had many acquaintances, and those most different classes of society one little sallow rat-faced, dark-eyed fellow who was introduced as Mr Lestrade, and who came three or four times in single week One morning young girl called, fashionably dressed, and stayed for half an hour or more The same afternoon brought grey-headed, seedy visitor, looking like Jew pedlar, who appeared much excited, and who was closely followed by slip-shod elderly woman On another occasion an old white-haired gentleman had an interview with my companion; and on another railway porter velveteen uniform When any nondescript individuals put in an appearance, Sherlock Holmes used to beg use sitting-room, and retire to my bed-room He always apologized for putting me inconvenience " to use this room as place of business," , "and these people are my clients " Again I had an opportunity of asking him point blank question, and again my delicacy prevented me from forcing another man to confide in me I imagined that he had some strong reason for not alluding , but he soon dispelled the idea by coming round subject own accord

4th of March, as good reason to remember, that I rose somewhat earlier than usual, and found that Sherlock Holmes yet finished his breakfast The landlady had become so accustomed to my late habits that my place laid nor my coffee prepared unreasonable petulance of mankind I rang the bell and gave curt intimation that ready Then I picked up magazine table and attempted to while away the time with it, while my companion munched silently at his toast articles had pencil mark heading, and I naturally began to run my eye through it

Its somewhat ambitious title was "The Book of Life," and it attempted to show an observant man might learn by an accurate and systematic examination of all that came way It struck me as being remarkable mixture of shrewdness and of absurdity The reasoning was close and intense, but the deductions appeared far-fetched and exaggerated The writer claimed by momentary expression, twitch of muscle or glance of an eye, to fathom man's inmost thoughts Deceit, according to him, was an impossibility case of one trained to observation and analysis His conclusions were as infallible as propositions of Euclid So startling would his results appear uninitiated that until they learned the processes he had arrived at them well consider him as necromancer