up to that time, but a mass of incandescent
gas, perhaps condensed at its outer surface, so as to form a sort of
immense bubble. I had never before heard of the theory, but it was
so plausible that there could be no difficulty in accepting it. So,
as we wended our way through the Smithsonian grounds, I explained the
theory to my companions in that _ex cathedra_ style which one is apt
to assume in setting forth a new idea to people who know little or
nothing of the subject. My talk was mainly designed for Mr. Taylor,
because I did not suppose the little man would take any interest
in it. I was, therefore, much astonished when, at a certain point,
he challenged, in quite a decisive tone, the correctness of one of
my propositions. In a rather more modest way, I tried to maintain
my ground, but was quite silenced by the little man informing us that
he had investigated the whole subject, and found so and so--different
from what I had been laying down.

I immediately stepped down from the pontifical chair, and asked the
little man to occupy it and tell us more about the matter, which
he did. Whether the theorem to which I have alluded was included
in his statement, I do not recall. If it was not, he told me about
it subsequently, and spoke of a paper he had published, or was about
to publish, in the "American Journal of Science." I find that this
paper appeared in Volume L. in 1870.

Naturally I cultivated the acquaintance of such a man. His name
was J. Homer Lane. He was quite alone in the world, having neither
family nor near relative, so far as any one knew. He had formerly
been an examiner or something similar in the Patent Office, but
under the system which prevailed in those days, a man with no more
political influence than he had was very liable to lose his position,
as he actually did. He lived in a good deal such a habitation and
surroundings as men like Johnson and Goldsmith lived in in their time.
If his home was not exactly a garret, it came as near it as a lodging
of the present day ever does.

After the paper in question appeared, I called Mr. Lane's attention
to the fact that I did not find any statement of the theorem which
he had mentioned to me to be contained in it. He admitted that it
was contained in it only impliedly, and proceeded to give me a very
brief and simple demonstration.

So the matter stood, until the centennial year, 1876, when Sir
William Thomson paid a visit to this countr