Life — November 15, 1917 — page 35: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

or girl who really likes it and becomes expert at it—is more or less of a freak. No mathematical prodigy ever did any- thing else of any consequence. One of the most singular delusions about mathematics is that we think we need it. Did you ever sce any woman who could add up a long column of figures cor- rectly the first time who was worth hav ing much to do with? Did you ever see Ise oe a genuine mathematician that you would ad care to be cast away with on ‘a desert or island for more than twelve hours? oy We have no desire to add, by criticism, , to the burden of those unfortunate peo- —— ple who are able to do sums, They were and we regard sympathy and as come when lady born with their 1 them appropriate toleration. But the time they ought to be put in their right place. They ought to be told how useless they are. They certainly ought not to be en- couraged as they have been. Euclid, that old sinner, is responsible for a good deal. His forty-seven propo- sitions have come rolling down the ages, and every schoolmaster thinks it is his ach them. They are all meaningless—atmost as bad, if not worse, than the study of theolog Perhaps to the assertion that arithmetic is a discipline of the mind is due as much of the time given to it in school as anything else. How singu- lar it is, then, that the skilful mathema- tician is scarcely able to make a living! The chances are that he may not know how to his wife properly. His dis- position be lamentable. If you should set him to reading poetry, he will start in at once to show you that it was incorrect. The only possible value attached to arithmetic is the ability to make change. And every boy docs learn to make change with bounden duty to continuous tre; may “Single Grips” “Double Grips * 35e. & 50c. J] Highly Nickeled For your safety, security and comfort, garter fittings of metal are most essential. “In the “Boston” these parts are highly nickeled, have smooth, rounded corners and edges and are so Protected that they do not come in contact with the skin. You'll like the feel" of the tmoothly finished metal fittings — they are Stout, strong and extremely lig! | GEORGE FROST CO., MAKERS, BOSTON — smote a Sampler A quaint, dainty box repre- senting the cross-stitch work of an old-time sampler, ‘‘start- ed in 1842,” An altogether unusual and charming assortment of choc- olates and confections—certain of a delighted reception. Send the Sampler. Delivered by the nearest Whitman a- gency (usually the leading drug store) or by us for $1 the pound. Ask for booklet. (Any Western Union Telegraph Office will accept an order for Whitman's to be delivered by the local Whitman agency.) Stephen F. Whitman & Son, Inc. Philadelphia, U. S. A. Makers of Whitman's Instantancous Chocolate, Cocoa and Marshmallow Whip These humiliating and degrading math- ematical calculations are not You intelligent being. Your occupation in life is to fall in love, to get married, to raise children, to have friendships, to know the beauty of flowers, to be delighted with the master pieces of art and literature, to feel the warm touch of the human hand and the kindly glance of human companionship. Therefore, have nothing to do with arith- metic. It is only for the simple-minded experts, out of school, without the assistance of anybody else If you want to build a house, you send for an architect. Let him do the figur- ing—the more you meddle in the job the worse your house will be. If you want to buy a rug, send for a rug man to meas- ure the floor. The chances are that if you have learned a little arithmetic you will make a mistake. The yardstick or | the tape-measure will probably be missing, | and you try to pace it off with your foot, and get it all wrong. for you are an human comicbooks.com