he read them; if pictures, engrav-
ings, gems were within reach, he
studied them; if nature was within
walking distance, he watched nature;
if men were about him, he learned
the secrets of their temperaments,
tastes, and skills; if he were on ship-
board, he knew the dialect of the
vessel in the briefest possible time;
if he travelled by stage, he sat with
the driver and learned all about the
route, the country, the people, and
the art of his companion; if he had
a spare hour in a village in which
there was a manufactory, he went
through it with keen eyes and
learned the mechanical processes
used in it. "Shall I tell you the
secret of the true scholar?" says
Emerson. "It is this: every man
I meet is my master in some point,
and in that I learn of him."

[[28]]

p027 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p028w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p029

v?