"God Speed" by Edmund Blair Leighton
The best questions don't have simple answers. The questions which help us appreciate the complicated nature of life are the ones which make us journey deep into diverse territories of knowledge. The word "question" itself derives from the same root as "quest" —a long and difficult search by which a hero proves his worth. A good question is a quest —and Google can't kiss the princess for you.
A hero's quest begins when he is given a specific mission to accomplish. Before we can answer a question we must first ask it —and working out the right way to ask it can start us down the path which leads to its solution. Sherlock Holmes is remembered for his powers of observation; equally important to his stories is the detective's ability to break an apparently unsolvable question down into smaller, more manageable queries and answer them one by one.
When we have our question —when we know what topic we want to research— then the journey of exploration truly begins. The best research projects teach us as much about ourselves and the world in general as they teach us about the subject we set out to study. Take care to seek out the best sources of information available to you —not the easiest or the most popular (which is what Google will provide), but the most trustworthy and informative. For historical research I always prefer primary source materials —books, diaries and other materials created at the time which I am studying. It is the best way to let the people of the past speak for themselves, rather than relying on rumors spread about them years later.
As you read your sources, take copious notes —not just on things you want to remember, but on things you can trace out to more sources and information. Names, dates and places are especially useful for this. When using a secondary source, always pay close attention to the bibliography and mine it for other sources. Find out where the author obtained their information and trace it backwards. Primary sources can often be traced backwards (the author discussing their own inspiration), sideways (mentions of contemporary figures or events) or forwards (other works by the same author, later ramifications of events). Each path leads to many branching routes as the quest covers territory, and some of these side paths will lead to different quests later after the initial one is accomplished.
Keep both your sources and your notes organized. I keep my bookshelves arranged by subject. Along with the books themselves I keep notebooks filled with notes taken from antique primary sources, along with source citations for each note. When I work with a modern re-print of a primary source I jot down notes directly on the pages for easy access later. My secondary source books are covered in notes, both on the text of the book itself and on things related to the text. For example, while researching the history of married women's property rights for an article I wrote in 2016, one of the sources I acquired was a copy of Denise Bates' 2014 book, Breach of Promise to Marry: A History of How Jilted Brides Settled Scores. Whenever I come across accounts of breach of promise suits in 19th-century newspapers or magazines now, I paste a copy of the article into the back of the book for future reference —all my notes on that topic provided useful background information for my novel, A Rapping At The Door.
Building up a private library is a task which takes a lifetime to accomplish —and it's never complete. I've been at it for years and I still want more books. When cost, rarity, or other limiting factors prevent acquiring a needed source, public libraries can provide excellent access to quality information. The people found within a libary can be just as helpful as the books. When you come to a dead end in your research (which you inevitably will), a good librarian can help you get on a likely path again so you can continue on your quest.
Online search engines are not entirely without their uses, but it's important to remember that they are tools —nothing more. A hero is often given many special tools to complete his quest, but they will avail him nothing if he waits at home and expects these mysterious items to solve his problem for him. Only by exploring long and complex paths of inquiry can he find meaningful answers —and in doing so, find himself and become worthy of the princess. For a question is a quest.
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A Trip and a Tumble
Time for a vacation —step right up! When Felix's newspaper sends him up to Victoria, Canada, to report on a visiting circus, Ken inevitably tags along, "like a dutiful puppy", as Addie says. Meanwhile, the cycling company Jacob represents sends him north to Victoria as well, as an ambassador for the sport. Addie tells him to keep an eye on the chums, but no one ever could keep Ken and Felix from stumbling into scrapes. When a vivacious high-society belle and a surprisingly timid circus bicyclist enter the picture, things heat up quickly. Be prepared for a grand circus pageant —let the show begin!
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Delivery Delayed:
It's obvious to everyone in the Chetzemoka cycling club that Lizzie and Isaac could make each other very happy —but does anyone really listen to their friends about affairs of the heart? A prim schoolmarm and a stoic steamship captain are hardly the people to discuss their sentiments, especially with each other. The smallest challenges seem like huge obstacles, even with everyone else trying their best to bring them together. When progress finally seems possible, a well-intentioned little girl steps in with the kind of help they'd be better off without. Will the situation be resolved in time, or will Isaac ship out for good?
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A Rapping At The Door:
When the delivery of a mysterious letter to Silas Hayes' mansion is followed by the arrival of a beautiful young woman who claims she can communicate with the dead, Nurse McCoy sniffs trouble in the wind. It's obvious to her that the newcomer is after Silas' fortune, but he is helplessly in awe of the medium's eerily intimate knowledge of his past and her seemingly supernatural abilities. Meanwhile, Kitty Brown's yearning to reach out to the departed spirit of her first love is making her push away her new husband, just when she needs him the most. The whole situation is a dreadful mess, and McCoy's got to straighten it all out before Silas' nephew and his bride come back from their honeymoon. Honestly, she doesn't know how any of the fools in this world would get along without her…
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Love Will Find A Wheel:
"I'm sure he'll be glad you're here —once he gets used to it."
When Jacob Simmons arrives in Washington Territory in the summer of 1882 and receives a glacial reception from his uncle Silas, he appreciates Dr. Brown's encouraging prediction but doesn't have much faith in it. Jacob's not even sure Silas will have time to get used to his presence, let alone consider him welcome. If the young man can't meet the draconian requirements of a contract with his business investors, he'll face exile and financial ruin, thus fulfilling old Silas' prediction that he would be just as dismal a failure as his father. His whole future rests on finding a market for a remarkable new machine —and he'll need help selling them.
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Addie Kellam is an incredibly lonely young woman. She's more comfortable with books than with other people, yet she longs for the sort of romance she reads about in stories. It's something she fears she'll never experience herself, since even friendship seems elusive. She envies the cameraderie her brother finds in his cycling club, but the only bicycles in the town of Chetzemoka are specifically designed for men. There aren't any wheels for women anywhere —are there?
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First Wheel in Town:
In the summer of 1881, a Pacific Northwest town is buzzing with curiosity over a mysterious package received by handsome young Dr. Brown. Kitty Butler, the town dressmaker, is as curious as anyone else. She only knows one thing about that crate in the post office: everyone else's guesses about its contents are all wrong.
When Dr. Brown unpacks the crate and reveals the first bicycle the town has ever seen, he wants to share his enthusiasm for this revolutionary new piece of technology —but encounters overwhelming hostility instead of the excitement he'd expected. The only one who seems positively interested is the pretty young widow Kitty Butler, and Dr. Brown soon realizes how much he needs her support…
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