34 
THE BROWN ALUMNI MONTHLY 
CHARLES DARWIN AS A MODEL STUDENT 
OF NATURE* 
By AV. W. Keen, 1859, M. D., LL. D., Philadelphia 
IIFTY years ago next Septem- 
ber - for commencement 
was still held in September 
in those medieval days-my 
class graduated from Brown 
University. I well remember my own 
attitude at the commencement in 1855, 
(the first I ever attended,) towards the 
men who graduated in 1805-men whose 
birth almost reached back to the Revo- 
lution itself. I considered that they 
were taking up room and using up oxy- 
gen that belonged to us young fellows, 
and that they ought to hurry up, or 
rather hurry down, into the hospitable 
graves that were yawning for them. 
Yet Theron Metcalf of this very class of 
1805, who was born only thiee years 
after Yorktown, had the audacity to live 
till 1875-two years after I had been 
deemed mature enough to become a 
member of the corporation itself! 
I have no doubt that the freshmen of 
to-day look upon us of '59 as almost the 
contemporaries of the ichthyosaurus, 
but I can assure them that that is abso- 
lutely a fish story. 
But in truth we must recognize the 
fact that our lives are fast ebbing away 
and that though the average human life 
is far longer than it was fifty years ago, 
we cannot expect an indefinite prolonga- 
tion of existence. You remember the 
story told of Baron Rothschild-the 
founder of the house-whose physician 
was called to see him when he fell ill at 
90 years of age. He assured the doctor 
that he could not survive. "Not a bit 
of it, Herr Baron," was the cheerful 
reply, " You'll live to be 100." "No, 
no," replied the veteran banker, I sus- 
pect with a twinkle in his eye, " do you 
suppose that when the Lord can get me 
at 90 he's going to wait till I go to par?" 
But old as we unquestionably are, we 
still remember our college days with 
enthusiasm and have eagerly watched 
the growth of the university in numbers 
and in power. In 1859 the faculty 
numbered only 10 and the students 225; 
now they number 112 and 993 respec- 
tively. The courses of instruction were 
few in number compared with the 
wealth of choice now provided. But 
the very meagreness of the number 
made our instruction more individual 
and, perhaps, more lasting, and our 
memories are still stocked with the facts 
learned in the classrooms of Lincoln and 
Harkness, Gammell and Chace, and 
their peers. We would even be willing, 
if it be not made to minute, to be 
quizzed offhand on the topography of 
Athens, and would not find ourselves in 
the position of the lady who, after 
hearing a lecture on the Parthenon, 
enthusiastically thanked the speaker, 
adding ' ' I am so much obliged to you 
for settling one question that has long 
perplexed me-whether the Parthenon 
was on the Acropolis or the Acropolis 
on the Parthenon." 
That the Providence girls of 50 years 
ago were the sweetest, best and prettiest 
mortal man ever saw is indisputable- 
the class of 1909 to the contrary notwith- 
standing. How well I recall the skating 
parties, the sailing parties, when Cupid 
and the propitious breezes often be- 
calmed our boat and bestirred our 
hearts, the combined search for the 
stealthy fragrant arbutus and the 
brighter-hued laurel, and the occasional 
mildly extravagant drives into the sur- 
rounding country. On one of these I 
saw a way side sign-but memory, after 
over a half century is often a sad traitor 
and it may be that I only heard of it- 
with the legend ' ' Coffins made and 
repaired." Whether this was grim 
humor to attract custom or an exag- 
gerated instance of New England thrift 
intended to establish the custom of 
bequeathing so inevitable a final luxury 
* An after-dinner address on commencement day at Brown University, June 16, 1909. THE BROWN ALUMNI MONTHLY 
35 
along with the family plate and jewels I 
know not. But the bizarre idea long 
lingered in my mind until finally I be- 
held its realization in the museum 
at Constantinople. A sacrilegious 
wretch named Tabnit had opened 
an old sarcophagus, had incontinent- 
ly tossed out the remains of his pre- 
decessor and provided that his own 
should be replaced in this second-hand 
coffin. He had not even directed the 
inscription recording the virtues of his 
predecessor to be erased, but his own 
name was inscribed below the first with 
the added caution ' ' Do not open this 
sarcophagus as you will find nothing 
valuable in it." Suspecting, however, 
that one who thus besmirched his own 
bones would also lie, later explorers 
lifted the lid and found many jewels and 
much other pelf. 
That Annus Mirabilis 1859 was 
remarkable for two things. We gradu- 
ated and the '' Origin of Species ' ' was 
published. You may smile but I assure 
you that there is a subtle connection be- 
tween the two events which does not 
appear on the surface. The struggle 
for existence and the survival of the 
fittest were two doctrines which occupy 
many pages in that memorable book. 
See now the final irrefutable proof of 
the truth of these doctrines after half a 
century! We have struggled to exist 
and lo ! here we are ! The fittest have 
survived ! Naturally then we are all 
enthusiastic Darwinians. 
But badinage aside, the past half-cen- 
tury has seen a wonderful thing. One 
book, scarcely larger than an ordinary 
novel, has changed the mental attitude 
of the whole race, not only in science, 
but practically in almost every realm of 
human thought. On its appearance it 
was greeted with scorn, vehement 
invective, fierce criticism and even with 
the thunder of ecclesiastical anathemas. 
Only those who lived, say from 1860 to 
1875, can ever realize the extent and 
the violence of the controversy on the 
platform, in the pulpit, at the dinner- 
table-everywhere. Yet behold a mira- 
cle ! After fifty years, though there 
are still a few feeble voices raised from 
time to time in protest and dissent, its 
doctrines are now the common truths of 
practically all thoughtful and intelligent 
men and the semi-centenary of its pub- 
lication has been made the occasion of 
scores of celebrations in Europe and 
America-a tribute to the work and 
genius of one man which has no parallel 
in scientific annals. The addresses so 
far as I have read them have traced the 
influence of Darwin upon various phases 
of human knowledge and human 
thought, but few, if any of them have 
pointed to him as* a model student of 
nature. 
I propose, therefore, to ask you to 
look very briefly at this aspect of 
Darwin's life and to appreciate the 
lessons we may learn from it. 
1. The first feature of his character 
was his infinite pains in collecting and 
verifying an immense mass of facts. 
No one can read the " Origin " without 
being deeply impressed with this. 
Portfolio after portfolio, 30 to 40 he 
says, of data on the many subjects he 
was investigating were his capital in 
trade-a "huge pile of notes," as he 
well calls those relating only to the 
Transmutation of Species. " "I work- 
ed," he says, " on true Baconian prin- 
ciples and without any theory "- 
observe these words ' ' without any 
theory "-" collected facts on a whole- 
sale scale .... by printed enquiries, 
by conversation and by 
extensive reading I have- 
bought many books and at their ends I 
made an index of the facts that concern 
my work, or, if the book is not my own, 
write out a separate abstract, and of 
such abstracts I have a large drawer 
full." 
He was fortunate in inheriting means 
sufficient for his personal and scientific 
needs, but per contra he lost years of 
his laborious life from ill health. His 
persistent industry in spite of almost 
constant daily suffering for 40 years 
may well amaze us all. 
2. He was never content only to read; 
to inquire or even only to observe, but 
when possible always put everything to 
the test of experiment. Hence the 
constantly recurring experiments in 
plants, the evidence from breeders of 
animals, of pigeons, and other birds in 
which the experimental method could be 
used. No scientist should ever accept 
any new statement without thus verify- 
ing it by experiment if that is possible. 
In the last half-century the experi- 36 
THE BROWN ALUMNI MONTHLY 
mental method has done more to for- 
ward science and to make it exact than 
all the speculations since the days of 
Aristotle. 
3. Darwin's was an "open mind." 
While always challenging alleged new 
facts and requiring the most conclusive 
evidence of observation and experi- 
ment before accepting them, yet, 
even though they* controverted his 
previous opinions and apparently well- 
established theories, he was not 
hostile to them because they were 
new. They must win a sure vict- 
ory over former notions, but he would 
see that they had fair play. 
I do not know any better illustra- 
tion of this influence of scientific study 
on the minds of savants in general than 
our former and our present notions as to 
the constitution of matter. 
The twentieth century has opened 
most auspiciously with a great and 
fundamental discovery-that of radio- 
activity. For the first time also in the 
history of science a woman-Madame 
Curie-has been foremost in the work. 
This discovery has thrown into confusion 
our fundamental concepts as to matter 
and the more we know, the more are 
we puzzled. The idea that there may 
be only one primordial substance has 
recently received a notable impulse in 
the apparent conversion of radium into 
helium and by the still later observa- 
tions which seem to show that other 
substances have been transmuted into 
carbon so that the chemists and physi- 
cists seem to have discovered at least a 
fragment of the Philosopher's Stone. 
This openness of mind, this willing- 
ness to give up a cherished theory 
should be one of the chief virtues of sci- 
entific men. Of course there are always 
conservatives * ' dyed in the wool ' ' who 
reject every new idea simply because it 
is new. But the great bulk of savants 
may be said always to append to their 
statements of facts other than self-evi- 
dent propositions a large interrogation 
mark, enclosed though it be in a 
bracket. That is to say there is no 
postulate so firmly established but that 
it may be modified or overturned by 
later discoveries. " By doubt they are 
established," says Huxley, "and open 
inquiry is their bosom friend. ' ' Honest 
doubts once solved are the foundation- 
stones of robust faith. Experiment 
then. Take nothing on faith, except, 
of course, in the higher realms of 
thought. Love knows no ' ' instruments 
of precision." Test everything else by 
the balance and the yard stick ! 
4. This openness of mind was espec- 
ially shown by Darwin by his mental 
attitude towards his own theories. 
Most of us are quite content for other 
fellows' ideas to be upset, but few like 
Darwin welcome criticism of our own 
ideas or are willing that our own intel- 
lectual children shall be declared other 
than the smartest and best-looking. 
" Darwin," says Huxley, " may be 
trusted always to state the case against 
himself as strongly as possible." 
Listen to what he himself says : "Dur- 
ing many years I had followed a golden 
rule, namely, that whenever a published 
fact, a new observation or thought came 
across me, which was opposed to my 
general results, to make a memorandum 
of it without fail and at once ; for I had 
found by experience that such facts and 
thoughts were far more apt to escape 
from the memory than favorable ones. 
Owing to this habit very few objections 
were raised against my views which I 
had not at least noticed and attempted 
to answer." 
Well may he call this "a golden 
rule" too often, I fear, more honored 
in the breach than the observance. 
Well would it be if it were obseived not 
only in science but in every other 
department of thought. 
Moreover he not only noted these 
unfavorable observations for his own 
private consideration and reflection, but 
fearlessly published them. The 
"Origin" is full of such instances. 
Never have I known a man so fair in 
discussion, of so limpid and transparent 
a mind. 
5. Having collected, arranged, and 
digested his facts, then came the 
brilliant generalizations, the statement 
of great principles. While minutely 
observant, he never limited his vision to 
the dative case or the enclitic de. He 
saw not only the trees but the great 
forests. Reflecting upon his marshalled 
facts, seeking for the explanation of the 
often bewildering diversity of his 
observations, he was many times baffled, 
but never dismayed or discouraged. THE BROWN ALUMNI MONTHLY 
37 
Who does not share his delight when he 
writes of one problem, " I can remem- 
ber the very spot in the road whilst in 
my carriage when to my joy the solution 
occurred to me. " Who of us who have 
been teachers-a title beyond all other 
titles-cannot remember how our nerves 
have been set a-tingle to the very 
finger-tips, when by some happy phrase 
or apt illustration suddenly flashing 
into our minds, we have been able to 
explain to our pupils, or even to our- 
selves, a difficult problem, or have 
discovered a new truth. The joy of the 
miser at discovering a hidden treasure 
of gold shrinks into utter insignificance 
beside such a delight. 
But these generalizations were never 
formulated in haste. Though flashes 
of deep insight sometimes came to him 
early, he waited and waited, patiently 
accumulating more evidence, and con- 
stantly reflecting, till he felt sure of his 
ground and then he published. Even 
after he believed he had really discov- 
ered the method by which new species 
were formed, he says " I was so anxious 
to avoid prejudice that I determined for 
some time not to write even the briefest 
sketch of it." The first brief sketch of 
35 pages was not written till after four 
more busy thoughtful years had passed! 
The "Origin" was not printed till 22 
years after his first note-book was 
opened and till he had written two con- 
densed sketches and a third bulky work, 
of which the "Origin" as published 
was a condensation-and all this labori- 
ously written out by hand. The " Des- 
cent of Man " was the result of 24 years 
of labor ; the ' ' Expression of the Emo- 
tion " of 33 years, and the work on 
" Earthworms " of more than 40 years 
of thought. Were everyone as patient 
and self-restrained, I warrant that 
yonder John Hay Memorial Library 
would suffice for scores of years longer 
than we now anticipate. 
6. One more trait in Darwin, unhap- 
pily not common among scientists, was 
his deliberate decision not to engage in 
controversy. Like Gamaliel, he be- 
lieved that " if this work be of men it 
will come to naught, but if it be of God 
[that is to say of the truth,] ye cannot 
overthrow it." Time has vindicated 
his wisdom and his work, and his 
beautiful character is not besmirched by 
controversy, and the heated and unwise 
words which controversy begets. 
7. One serious warning he gives us. 
" Up to the age of 30 or beyond it, 
poetry of many kinds, such as the works 
of Milton, Gray, Byron, Wordsworth, 
Coleridge and Shelley, gave me great 
pleasure and even as a schoolboy I took 
intense delight in Shakespeare." The 
same was true of pictures and of music. 
But now," he goes on, " for many 
years, I cannot endure to read a line of 
poetry; I have tried lately to read 
Shakespeare and found it so intolerably 
dull that it nauseated me " and. he had 
almost lost his taste for pictures and 
music. Well may he call this a 
curious and lamentable loss of the 
higher asthetic tastes," and say, "If 
I had to live my life again I would have 
made it a rule to read some poetry and 
listen to some music at least once every 
week. ' ' 
Looking back on the brief sketch I 
have drawn, how impressive is the noble 
character of this scientific giant. 
Humbly may we walk in his footsteps 
and copy his splendid example !