Show lord kelvin james thomson the lather father of 0 the eminent lord kelvin was tile the son of A farmer in the north of ireland ile he had bad few outward advantages but his inborn thirst tor for knowledge conquered all tile the difficulties and he became i 1 thorough mathematician and professor of mathematics in the university ot of glasgow glogow lord kelvin thou though it not nit childish Is of that childlikeness ot of char acter regarding which it was said of 0 such Is i the kingdom of 0 heaven 11 A writer iu in good words sketches the als professor as follows ile he has one strange peculiarity while the higher mathematics are as easy to him as the alphabet he often app appears cars puzzled when a sum Is presented to him in ordinary numerals A question of 0 simple addition placed in this way on the board will sometimes lead to the query being put to the class or to an assistant si with a certain tunny funny look of helplessness how much is that ills his power of abstraction is extraordinary ile he is never without his note book which he carries in bis pocket and produces at the most unexpected times I 1 have seen been him when ou cm a visit to a 11 country house in a crowded dr drawls draw awill ln room with all the jabber of conversation going on in full flood sitting with his note book and filling page after page with intricate calculations seeking the solution of some problem which awaited investigation ile he can to do tills this in railway carriages and in a storm at sen sea as calmly as aa in his library lie ile will get himself propped up in tile the corner of his bis cabin anil and set to work and become so absorbed qs as to be unconscious that there has been a gale 93 ae blowing while lie he was at work and yet if recalled to ordinary life by some passing questioner ills his gentle face lights up with interest when others more self conscious than he be would display irritation indeed I 1 never k knew new a man less self conscious lie he is absolutely without affectation or any n y th thought ot i g ht 0 of f se self lf 1 l importance m p 0 rt a uc e li he e will wil I 1 c converse on re r s e wl with t h a n nobody 0 bo d y i in n a manner mn B tie r so respectful ant and attentive as to make that nobody imagine that he himself has been delightfully interesting and even informing to lord kelvin this arises from the simplicity and sweetness of a great nature |