During the first two decades of this century, a great number of babies under one year of age wasted away in hospitals and children’s institutions and died from unknown causes. In some institutions it was customary to enter the condition of all seriously sick infants as “hopeless” on admission cards.

Among the doctors who were confronted with infant mortality daily was Dr. Fritz Talbot of the Children’s Clinic in Dusseldorf. Dr. Talbot had uncommon success in dealing with sick children. For many years, as he made his rounds, he would be followed from ward to ward by groups of interns seeking new ways of handling children’s diseases.

One such intern was Dr. Joseph Brennermann, who told this story. (more…)

Novelist Sinclair Lewis was supposed to deliver an hour-long lecture to a group of college students who planned to be writers. Lewis opened his talk with a question:

“How many of you really intend to be writers?”

All hands went up.

“In that case,” said Lewis, “my advice to you is to go home and write.”

With that, he left.

-Bits & Pieces – March 1997

A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for 40 days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.

Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man’s attention.

The wise man listened attentively to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.

“Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something”, said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. “As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill”. (more…)