,,famous ,,men ,,of ,,science ,,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton ,,author ,,of ,,poor ,,boys ,,who ,,became ,,famous1 ,,girls ,,who ,,became ,,famous1 ,,famous ,,american ,,authors1 ,,famous ,,american ,,statesmen1 ,,social ,,studies ,,in ,,england1 ,,stories ,,from ,,life1 ,,from ,,heart ,,and ,,nature1 ,,etc4 ,,seventh ,,thousand ,the heights by great men reached and kept ,were not attained by sudden flight2 ,but they1 while their companions slept1 ,were toiling upward in the night4 ,,longfellow4 ,a man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life4--,,darwin4 ,,new ,,york ,,thomas ,y4 ,,crowell ,,company ,,publishers ,,copyright1 #ahhi1 ,,by ,,thomas ,y4 ,,crowell ,,co4 ,,electrotyped ,,by ,c4 ,j4 ,,peters ,,and ,,son1 ,,boston4 ,,presswork ,,by ,,berwick ,,smith1 ,,boston1 ,,mass4 ,,to ,,those ,,who ,,have ,,expressed ,,pleasure ,,in ,,my ,,work ,i dedicate this book4 ,,preface4 ,garfield said1 ,no page of human history is so instructive and significant as the record of those early influences which develop the character and direct the lives of eminent men4 ,these sketches show how young men have overcome difficulties1 sometimes poverty1 sometimes illness2 how they have made failures before finding their true vocation4 ,they show the results of energy1 perseverance1 and untiring devotion2 how a cheerful face and a hopeful spirit like ,agassiz's1 or a gentle and kindly nature like ,darwin's1 can win its way against opposition4 ,a sketch of ,benjamin ,franklin1 which otherwise would have a place in this volume1 will be found in ,famous ,american ,statesmen2 also one of ,michael ,faraday1 in ,poor ,boys ,who ,became ,famous4 ,s4 ,k4 ,b4 ,,contents4 ,,galileo ,,galilei #a ,,sir ,,isaac ,,newton #bh ,,carl ,,linnaeus #di ,,baron ,,cuvier #fe ,,sir ,,william ,,and ,,caroline ,,herschel #ha ,,alexander ,,von ,,humboldt #ajg ,,sir ,,humphrey ,,davy #aci ,,john ,,james ,,audubon #afg ,,samuel ,,finley ,,breese ,,morse #bjb ,,sir ,,charles ,,lyell #bdf ,,joseph ,,henry1 ,,ll4,d4 #bge ,,louis ,,agassiz #cjb ,,charles ,,robert ,,darwin #cdg ,,francis ,,trevelyan ,,buckland #cif ,,galileo ,,galilei4 ,illustration3 ,,galileo ,,galilei4 ,the same memorable day is marked by the setting of one of the most brilliant stars in the firmament of art and the rising of another in the sphere of science1 which was to enlighten the world with beams of equal splendor4 ,on the #ahth of ,february1 #aefd1 ,michael ,angelo ,buonarotti closed his eyes at ,rome1 and ,galileo ,galilei first saw the light at ,pisa4 ,thus writes young ,karl von ,gebler1 in the best life of ,galileo ever written1 his dying contribution to literature4 ,some other authorities place ,galileo's birth on ,february #ae4 ,he was the oldest in a family of five children born to ,vincenzo ,galilei1 a ,florentine noble1 and ,giulia ,ammanati1 who also belonged to an ancient family4 ,vincenzo wrote learnedly about music1 and taught his boy to play on the lute and the organ2 but he was poor and life was a struggle4 ,however beneficial poverty may be in the development of character1 most of us do not crave it for our children1 so ,vincenzo decided to place his son where he could earn a comfortable support4 ,music did not bring money4 ,galileo therefore should become a dealer in cloth2 a necessity of life1 rather than a luxury4 ,but the boy soon showed great skill in music1 surpassing his father4 ,he excelled in drawing and color1 and could have become a noted artist4 ,he loved poetry1 and had a decided taste for mechanics1 making machines of great ingenuity4 ,it soon became evident that such a lad would not be satisfied to spend his life trading in wool4 ,he must be educated1 but how8 ,the family had moved from ,pisa1 where there were schools of repute1 to ,florence4 ,an effort had to be made1 by the greatest economy1 to prepare ,galileo to go back to the ,pisan ,university4 ,he showed great aptitude for ,latin and ,greek1 and at seventeen was ready for ,pisa4 ,for what profession should he study8 ,not what best suited his tastes1 but that in which his father thought he could make money1 medicine4 ,poor ,vincenzo6 who can blame him that he hated poverty for his brilliant son8 ,at college1 ,galileo became an ardent student of philosophy1 and because he dared to think for himself1 and did not always agree with the teachings of ,aristotle1 he was called the wrangler4 ,until he was twenty he was scarcely acquainted with the rudiments of mathematics1 because his father thought this study was a waste of time for a man who was to become a physician4 ,how many parents make the mistake of bending their children to their own plans1 instead of ascertaining what a boy or girl can do best in the world1 and then fitting him or her for it6 ,while ,galileo was studying medicine in ,pisa1 boarding with a relative1 the court of ,tuscany came to the city for a few months4 ,among the suite was ,ostilio ,ricci1 a distinguished mathematician1 and ,governor of the ,pages of the ,grand ,ducal ,court4 ,he was a friend of the ,galilei family1 and was pleased to see the bright young son1 ,galileo4 ,when he taught ,euclid1 the medical student would stand shyly at the schoolroom door1 and listen with intense interest4 ,soon he began to study mathematics secretly2 then begged ,ricci to teach him1 who gladly consented1 till the father forbade it1 seeing that ,euclid interfered with medicine4 ,meantime1 the youth of nineteen1 kneeling at prayers in the ,pisa ,cathedral1 had dreamily watched a bronze lamp swinging from an arch4 ,the oscillations were at first considerable1 but as they grew less and less1 ,galileo observed that they were all performed in the same time1 measuring the time by feeling his pulse4 ,the idea occurred to him that an instrument could be constructed which should mark the rate and variation of the pulse4 ,he began to experiment1 and soon invented the pulselogia1 which the physicians hailed with great delight4 ,the pendulum was not applied to clocks till a half-century later1 but its invention attracted the attention of all scholars4 ,after four years' residence at ,pisa1 ,vincenzo ,galilei appealed to the reigning ,grand ,duke1 ,ferdinand de ,medici1 to grant to his son one of the forty free places founded for poor students1 but the request was denied1 and ,galileo1 unable to pay for his doctor's degree1 was obliged to leave the university without it4 ,already he had learned bitter lessons of privation and disappointment1 but youth has a brave heart1 and looks ever toward the sunlight4 ,he went back to his home in ,florence to study the works of ,archimedes1 whom he called his master1 to write his first essay on his ,hydrostatic ,balance1 and to earn the reputation of a bold inquirer in geometrical and mechanical speculations4 ,the father had now given up all hope of a fortune coming through medicine6 ,henceforward1 the genius which was to shed lustre on his own name1 otherwise buried in obscurity1 was to have its own bent1 and work out its own destiny4 ,if we are in earnest1 a door opens sooner or later2 but our own hands usually open it4 ,at twenty-four a door opened to ,galileo4 ,marquis ,guidubaldo1 a celebrated mathematician1 appreciating what the young scientist had done1 began a correspondence with him1 and a valuable friendship resulted4 ,the marquis asked him to study the position of the centre of gravity in solid bodies4 ,galileo applied himself to it1 and wrote a valuable essay1 which waited fifty years for publication4 ,perhaps no person can be really great who has not learned patience1 and ,galileo had many lessons in this virtue before he died4 ,through the influence of the marquis1 he was brought to the notice of ,ferdinand ,i41 reigning ,grand ,duke1 who appointed him to the mathematical professorship at ,pisa4 ,this was a great honor for a young man of twenty-six1 one who had been too poor to take his degree4 ,the salary was small1 less than a hundred dollars a year2 but he earned somewhat by the practice of medicine1 by lectures on ,dante and other literary subjects1 and by lessons to private pupils4 ,of course1 he had little or no leisure2 but he thus learned one of the most valuable lessons of life1--to treasure time as though it were gold4 ,how glad his father and mother must have been that their wool projects had come to naught6 ,the professors at ,pisa1 with a single exception1 ,jacopo ,mazzoni1 in the chair of philosophy1 were opposed to the new-comer4 ,they were all disciples of ,aristotle1 and had not ,galileo1 when a boy among them1 dared to oppose the great ,grecian8 ,and now1 to make matters worse1 he had taken some friends to the top of the ,leaning ,tower1 and had put to the test the belief of two thousand years1--that the rate at which a body falls depends upon its weight4 ,when the different weights fell to the pavement at the foot of the ,leaning ,tower1 at the same time1 the learned were astonished4 ,if ,aristotle could be wrong in one thing1 he might in others1 and this young man would revolutionize the teaching of the times6 ,the feeling became so strong against the investigator that after three years at ,pisa he resigned4 ,when will the world learn toleration for those whose opinions are different from the popular thought8 ,from ,galileo to ,darwin we have persecuted the men and women whose views were unlike our own in theology1 in science1 or in social matters4 ,through his friend1 the ,marquis ,guidubaldo1 the mathematical professorship at ,padua was obtained for ,galileo4 ,he was now twenty-nine1 and becoming widely known throughout ,italy4 ,his father had just died1 leaving the whole family1 a wife and four children1 dependent upon him for support2 not a small matter for an ambitious and hard-working professor4 ,padua gave the young man cordial welcome4 ,vincenzo ,pinelli1 a learned nobleman1 who possessed eighty thousand volumes1 mentioned him to ,tycho ,brahe1 the great ,danish astronomer1 as a man whom it would be well to cultivate2 but the ,dane was too cautious about his own reputation1 and did not write ,galileo till eight years later1 and died the following year4 ,an associate of ,tycho ,brahe was wiser than his master1 and sent ,galileo his new book1 ,prodromus ,dissertationum ,cosmographicum4 ,a warm letter of thanks went back to the immortal ,john ,kepler1 saying3 ,many years ago ,i became a convert to the opinions of ,copernicus1 and by that theory have succeeded in fully explaining many phenomena which on the contrary hypothesis are altogether inexplicable4 ,i have drawn up many arguments and compilations of the opposite opinions1 which1 however1 ,i have not hitherto dared to publish1 fearful of meeting the same fate as our master ,copernicus1 who1 although he has earned for himself immortal fame amongst the few1 yet amongst the greater number appears as only worthy of hooting and derision2 so great is the number of fools4 ,john ,kepler1 like ,galileo1 lived a pathetic life4 ,his childhood was spent in the little beer-shop of his wretchedly poor father4 ,at six he had a severe attack of small-pox1 and his eyes were permanently weakened4 ,he was put to the plough1 but his delicate body could not bear the work4 ,at last1 through charity1 he became a theological student at ,tuebingen4 ,but here he began to think for himself1 and1 probably1 would have been obliged to leave the university4 ,fortunately for science1 he heard some lectures given by ,michael ,moestlen1 famous in mathematics and astronomy4 ,a new world opened to ,kepler4 ,he applied himself with all the ardor of youth1 and at twenty-two became professor of mathematics at ,graetz1 in ,styria4 ,he was soon driven away from this ,catholic stronghold1 on account of his ,protestant faith4 ,tycho ,brahe heard of his needs1 and made him his assistant at ,prague1 with a salary of seven hundred and fifty dollars a year4 ,this seemed regal splendor to the poor astronomer4 ,now he studied the heavens with hope and delight4 ,but sorrows soon came4 ,his children died1 his wife became insane1 and died also4 ,the salary could not be paid1 on account of the religious wars which convulsed ,germany4 ,he wrote almanacs1 took private pupils1 and in all ways tried to support his second wife and children1 while he studied the heavens year by year1 discovering his three great laws4 ,the mathematical calculations for the first law1 that the planets move in elliptical orbits round the sun1 which is placed at one of the foci1 filled seven hundred pages4 ,his ,harmonies of the ,world contained his third great law3 ,the squares of the periodic times of the planets are proportioned to the cubes of their mean distances from the sun4 ,such was his joy when he discovered this law1 after seventeen years of labor1 that he said1 ,i have written my book4 ,it will be read2 whether in the present age or by posterity matters little4 ,it can wait for its readers4 ,has not ,god waited six thousand years for one to contemplate his works8 ,in a last fruitless attempt to recover twenty-nine thousand florins1 owed him by the government1 worn out with want and disappointment1 he fell ill and died at ,ratisbon1 leaving thirty-three works1 twenty-two volumes in manuscript1 and his family in the direst poverty4 ,such was the man who admired ,galileo in his youth1 and who stands with him in the admiration of the generations that have come and gone since these two men lived and wrote and suffered4 ,at ,padua1 ,galileo soon attracted great numbers to his class-room4 ,often a thousand gathered to hear his lectures1 and when the hall was too cramped1 he spoke to the people in the open air4 ,he was above the middle height1 well proportioned1 with cheerful countenance1 witty in conversation1 and enthusiastic in his manner4 ,so learned that he could repeat by heart much of the works of ,virgil1 ,ovid1 ,horace1 and ,seneca2 he was yet modest and unassuming1 saying that he never met a man so ignorant but that something might be learned from him4 ,he labored incessantly4 ,he wrote treatises on ,fortifications1 on ,mechanics1 on ,gnomonics1 on the laws of motion1 on the celestial globe1 which were copied by his pupils1 and sent by them far and wide over ,europe4 ,he took a workman into his family1 and began to superintend the making of the compass which he had invented1 and the thermoscope1 or heat indicator1 which led in later years to the thermometer4 ,his experiment was made by a glass bottle about the size of a hen's egg1 the neck of which was two palms long1 and as narrow as a straw4 ,having well heated the bulb in his hands1 he placed its mouth in a vessel containing a little water1 and withdrawing the heat of his hand from the bulb1 instantly the water rose in the neck1 more than a palm above the level of the water in the vessel4 ,during the first six years at ,padua1 his salary rose from about one hundred dollars to five hundred dollars1 yearly4 ,all this time1 when his mind should have been free from care for his great work1 he was beset with difficulties4 ,his sister1 ,virginia1 had married before his father's death1 but a promised dowry had never been paid1 and now the brother-in-law demanded the payment4 ,the mother1 worried over the prospect1 wrote to her son1 ,galileo1 ,if you carry into effect your intention of coming here next month1 ,i shall be rejoiced1 only you must not come unprovided with funds1 for ,i see that ,benedetto is determined to have his own1 that is to say1 what you promised him2 and he threatens loudly that he will have you arrested the instant you arrive here4 ,and as ,i hear you bound yourself to pay1 he would have the power to arrest you1 and he is just the man to do it4 ,so ,i warn you1 for it would grieve me much if anything of the kind were to happen4 ,livia1 another sister1 had become engaged to a ,pisan gentleman1 with the promise of a dowry of eighteen hundred ducats1 eight hundred of which must be paid down4 ,the ,pisan gentleman could not burden himself with a wife1 without funds to help support her and himself4 ,so ,galileo generously1 if not wisely1 borrowed six hundred ducats1 and paid the necessary eight hundred1 giving his sister beautiful clothes and house furnishings4 ,besides these sisters1 ,galileo had a lazy brother to provide for1 ,michelangelo1 a young man of some musical talent and elegant manners1 with the not unusual gift of being able to spend much and earn little4 ,galileo obtained a situation for him with a ,polish prince1 and spent two hundred crowns in getting him ready for the new position4 ,he went thither1 but soon returned1 and another place had to be procured for him1 at the court of the ,duke of ,bavaria4 ,while there1 instead of helping to pay his sister's dowry1 as he had promised1 he married2 had an extravagant wedding feast1 and then wrote his hard-working brother3 ,i know that you will say that ,i should have waited1 and thought of our sisters before taking a wife4 ,but1 good heavens6 the idea of toiling all one's life just to put by a few farthings to give one's sisters6 ,this yoke would be indeed too heavy and bitter2 for ,i am more than certain that in thirty years ,i should not have saved enough to cover this debt4 ,with all the pressure upon him for money1 ,galileo kept steadily on in his absorbing studies4 ,in the year #afji1 he constructed a telescope4 ,it is true that ,hans ,lipperhey1 of ,germany1 had invented a spy-glass1 and presented it to ,prince ,maurice1 so that the principle was understood2 but nobody gave it practical illustration till ,galileo1 having heard of the glass1 began to reflect how an instrument could be made to bring distant objects near4 ,in a leaden tube1 he fixed two glasses1 both having one side flat1 and the other side of the one concave1 and the other convex4 ,by this1 objects appeared three times nearer and nine times larger4 ,a few days later1 he hastened with his leaden tube to ,venice1 to exhibit it to the ,doge and the ,senate4 ,he wrote to a friend3-- ,many gentlemen and senators1 even the oldest1 have ascended at various times the highest bell-towers in ,venice1 to spy out ships at sea1 making sail for the mouth of the harbor1 and have seen them clearly1 though without my telescope they would have been invisible for more than two hours4 ,the effect of this instrument is to show an object at a distance of1 say1 fifty miles1 as if it were but five miles off4 ,perceiving of what great utility such an instrument would prove in naval and military operations1 and seeing that ,his ,serenity greatly desired to possess it1 ,i resolved four days ago to go to the palace and present it to the ,doge as a free gift4 ,and on quitting the presence-chamber1 ,i was commanded to bide awhile in the hall of the senate1 whereunto1 after a little1 the ,illustrissimo ,prioli1 who is ,procurator and one of the ,riformatori of the ,university1 came forth to me from the presence-chamber1 and1 taking me by the hand1 said1 'that the senate1 knowing the manner in which ,i had served it for seventeen years at ,padua1 and being sensible of my courtesy in making it a present of my telescope1 had immediately ordered the ,illustrious ,riformatori to elect me 7with my good-will7 to the professorship for life1 with a stipend of one thousand florins yearly4' ,this must have been a comfort to the now famous ,galileo1 as it was1 doubtless1 to the useless ,michelangelo1 and the two brothers-in-law6 ,he could now live in comparative peace and rest4 ,on his return to ,padua1 he began eagerly to study the heavens4 ,he found that the surface of the moon was mountainous2 that the ,milky ,way was composed of an immense number of small stars and nebulous matter2 that ,orion1 instead of being made up of seven heavenly bodies1 had over five hundred stars2 and that the ,pleiades were not seven1 but thirty-six4 ,in ,january1 #afaj1 he discovered the four moons of ,jupiter1 and that they revolved around him4 ,july #be of the same year1 he discovered the ring of ,saturn2 in ,october1 the phases of ,venus1 and later1 the solar spots4 ,florence and ,padua were in a blaze of excitement4 ,these new discoveries seemed to prove that the earth was not the centre of the universe1 but that ,copernicus was right when he declared the sun to be the centre4 ,great opposition began to develop itself4 ,some of the ,aristotelians declared that the telescope of ,galileo showed things which do not exist4 ,it was ridiculous1 they said1 that four planets 7,jupiter's moons7 were chasing each other around a large planet4 ,it is angels who make ,saturn1 ,jupiter1 the sun1 etc41 turn round4 ,if the earth revolves1 it must also have an angel in the centre to set it in motion2 but if only devils live there1 it would1 therefore1 be a devil who would impart motion to the earth4 ,the planets1 the sun1 the fixed stars1 all belong to one species2 namely1 that of stars--they1 therefore1 all move1 or all stand still4 ,it seems1 therefore1 to be a grievous wrong to place the earth1 which is a sink of impurity1 among the heavenly bodies1 which are pure and divine things4 ,libri1 one of the ,pisan professors1 spoke of the new discoveries as celestial trifles4 ,when he died1 ,galileo naively remarked1 ,libri did not choose to see my celestial trifles while he was on earth2 perhaps he will1 now he is gone to heaven4 ,galileo now longed for freedom from teaching1 that he might have his time for study and writing4 ,he had planned1 he said1 two books on the system of the universe2 an immense work 7idea1 concetto71 full of philosophy1 astronomy1 and geometry3 three books on local motion1 a science entirely new2 no one1 either ancient or modern1 having discovered any of the marvellous accidents which ,i demonstrate in natural and violent motions2 so that ,i may1 with very great reason1 call it a new science1 discovered by me from its very first principles3 three books on mechanics1 two on the demonstration of its first principles1 and one of problems2 and though this is a subject which has already been treated by various writers1 yet all which has been written hitherto neither in quantity nor otherwise is the quarter of what ,i am writing on it4 ,i have also various treatises on natural subjects1 on sound and speech1 on sight and colors1 on the tide1 on the composition of continuous quantity1 on the motion of animals1 and others2 besides1 ,i have also an idea of writing some books on the military art1 giving not only a model of a soldier1 but teaching1 with very exact rules1 all which it is his duty to know that depends on mathematics2 as1 for instance1 the knowledge of encampment1 drawing up battalions1 fortifications1 assaults1 planning1 surveying1 the knowledge of artillery1 the use of various instruments1 etc4 ,with all this work in mind1 he resigned the professorship at ,padua1 and removed to ,florence1 the ,grand ,duke ,cosmo ,,ii4 giving him a yearly salary of about one thousand dollars1 and the title of ,philosopher to ,his ,highness4 ,his first thought1 as ever1 was for his family4 ,he asked an advance of two years' salary1 and paid the dowry debts of his sisters' grasping husbands4 ,in #afaa1 his expenses paid by the ,grand ,duke1 he went to ,rome to show his celestial novelties1 as they were called1 to the pope and the cardinals4 ,he was received with great attention1 and all seemed delighted to look upon the wonders of the heavens1 provided always that nothing could be proved against the supposed assertion of the ,bible that the earth did not move6 ,galileo soon published his ,discourse on ,floating ,bodies1 which aroused violent opposition2 ,spots observed on the ,body of the ,sun1 and the ,discourse on the ,tides4 ,four years later1 he was again in ,rome to plead for the ,copernican system1 and to defend his own conduct in advocating a thing in opposition to the ,catholic church4 ,he said3 ,i am inclined to think that the authority of ,holy ,scripture is intended to convince men of those truths which are necessary for their salvation1 and which1 being far above man's understanding1 cannot be made credible by any learning1 or any other means than revelation by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,but that the same ,god1 who has endowed us with senses1 reason1 and understanding1 does not permit us to use them1 and desires to acquaint us in any other way with such knowledge as we are in a position to acquire for ourselves by means of those faculties1 that1 it seems to me1 ,i am not bound to believe1 especially concerning those sciences about which the ,holy ,scriptures contain only small fragments and varying conclusions2 and this is precisely the case with astronomy1 of which there is so little that the planets are not even all enumerated4 ,however1 in spite of ,galileo's logic1 the church decreed that all books which stated the ,copernican system as true should be prohibited2 as a mathematical hypothesis1 it might be speculated upon4 ,this was a great disappointment to ,galileo1 who loved and revered the ,roman ,catholic faith4 ,he went home to the ,villa ,segni1 at ,bellosguardo1 near ,florence1 and for seven years led a studious and secluded life4 ,his greatest comfort1 during these quiet years1 was the devotion of his daughter1 ,polissena1 who had entered a convent as ,sister ,maria ,celeste4 ,while in ,padua1 ,galileo had three children by ,marina ,gamba1 a ,venetian woman of inferior station4 ,she afterwards married a man of her own class1 and ,galileo took his children to his own home2 a condition of things possible with the low moral standard of the time4 ,the two daughters were placed in a convent1 while the son1 ,vincenzo1 was educated for the profession of medicine1 but he seems to have been a disappointment and a source of discomfort4 ,maria ,celeste1 in the convent of ,st4 ,matthew1 loving and tender1 and helpful to all around her1 wrote constantly to the man whom she idolized4 ,i put by carefully1 she says1 the letters you write me daily1 and when not engaged with my duties1 ,i read them over and over again4 ,this is the greatest pleasure ,i have1 and you may think how glad ,i am to read the letters you receive from persons who1 besides being excellent in themselves1 have you in esteem4 ,again she writes1 ,i leave you to imagine how pleased ,i am to read the letters you constantly send me4 ,only to see how your love for me prompts you to let me know fully what favors you receive from these gentlemen is enough to fill me with joy4 ,nevertheless ,i feel it a little hard to hear that you intend leaving home so soon1 because ,i shall have to do without you1 and for a long time too1 if ,i am not mistaken4 ,and your lordship may believe that ,i am speaking the truth when ,i say that except you there is not a creature who gives me any comfort4 ,but ,i will not grieve at your departure because of this1 for that would be to complain when you had cause for rejoicing4 ,therefore ,i too will rejoice1 and continue to pray ,god to give you grace and health to make a prosperous journey1 so that you may return satisfied1 and live long and happily1 all which1 ,i trust1 will come to pass by ,god's help4 ,i send two baked pears for these days of vigil4 ,but as the greatest treat of all1 ,i send you a rose1 which ought to please you extremely1 seeing what a rarity it is at this season4 ,and with the rose1 you must accept its thorns1 which represent the bitter passion of our ,lord1 while the green leaves represent the hope we may entertain that through the same ,sacred ,passion we1 having passed through the darkness of this short winter of our mortal life1 may attain to the brightness and felicity of an eternal spring in heaven4 ,only in one respect does cloister life weigh heavily on me2 that is1 that it prevents my attending on you personally1 which would be my desire1 were it permitted4 ,my thoughts are always with you4 ,and so the seven years of study went by1 with the sweet love of ,maria ,celeste to brighten them4 ,there are none so great that they can live without affection4 ,at the end of the seven years1 ,urban ,,viii4 came to the pontifical throne1 and ,galileo and other scientists rejoiced1 for he had seemed liberal in thought and generous in heart4 ,when he was cardinal1 he had sent a letter to ,galileo1 saying1 ,the esteem which ,i always entertain for yourself and your great merits has given occasion to the enclosed verses4 ,if not worthy of you1 they will serve at any rate as a proof of my affection1 while ,i purpose to add lustre to my poetry by your renowned name4 ,without wasting words1 then1 in further apologies1 which ,i leave to the confidence which ,i place in you1 ,i beg you to receive with favor this insignificant proof of my great affection4 ,at ,easter1 #afbd1 ,galileo1 now sixty years old1 resolved to proceed to ,rome1 to welcome the new pope1 and urge his approval of the ,copernican theory4 ,frail in health1 he was carried most of the way in a litter4 ,during a visit of six weeks1 he had six long audiences with ,urban ,,viii42 but1 though he was affably received1 the pope was in no wise convinced1 but rather tried to convince ,galileo that he was in error4 ,yet so kind was he that ,galileo went back to ,florence with the hope and belief that he could bring out his great work1 ,dialogues on the ,two ,principal ,systems of the ,world1 the ,ptolemaic and ,copernican1 without opposition from the church4 ,in this book1 ,galileo gave the results of scientific research and discovery in the half century preceding1 using such clear yet brilliant style in writing as to make the work attractive even to the unlearned4 ,it was ready for publication in ,march1 #afcj1 but to be sure that the pope did not object1 ,galileo was urged to go in person to ,rome4 ,he went and presented the matter to ,urban1 who gave his consent provided that the title should show that the ,copernican system was treated as a hypothesis merely1 and that he1 the pope1 should write the closing argument4 ,rather than forego the publication of that upon which he had worked for years1 ,galileo consented1 and returned to ,florence4 ,a license to publish was then obtained from the ,inquisitor-,general1 and the ,vicar-,general of ,florence1 after great delay4 ,a second and a third time the papal authorities wished to look over the manuscript4 ,two years went slowly by4 ,other anxieties came to the man of sixty-eight1 besides the long delay4 ,the impecunious ,michelangelo sent his wife1 seven children1 and a ,german nurse1 to the home of ,galileo1 to be taken care of4 ,the eldest nephew was sent to ,rome to study music4 ,he was found to be obstinate1 impudent1 and dissolute1 wicked ways which his weak and indulgent father said he did not learn from me1 or any one else belonging to him4 ,it must have been the fault of his wet nurse6 ,galileo's son ,vincenzo had married and brought his wife home to live4 ,strange fortune for this man of genius6 ,strange that he must have helpless relatives1 and constant pecuniary troubles4 ,most great lives are as pathetic as they are great4 ,as ever1 the one gleam of light was the daily letter from ,maria ,celeste1 in which she expressed a tenderness beyond what any daughter ever had for a father4 ,but ,i do not know how to express myself1 except by saying that ,i love you better than myself4 ,for1 after ,god1 ,i belong to you2 and your kindnesses are so numberless that ,i feel ,i could put my life in peril1 were it to save you from any trouble1 excepting only that ,i would not offend ,his ,divine ,majesty4 ,finally ,galileo moved to ,arcetri1 over against the convent1 to be near the one who alone satisfied his heart4 ,in ,january1 #afcb1 the ,dialogues appeared4 ,copies were sent to his friends and disciples throughout ,italy4 ,the whole country applauded1 and at last ,galileo seemed to have won the homage he had so long deserved4 ,but a storm was gathering4 ,enemies were at work prejudicing the mind of ,urban ,,viii41 making him feel that ,galileo had wrought evil to the church4 ,at once an order came from the ,inquisition to secure every copy in the booksellers' shops throughout ,italy1 and to forward all copies to ,rome4 ,in ,october of the same year of publication1 ,galileo was summoned to appear at ,rome1 to answer to that terror of past centuries1 the charge of heresy4 ,his friends urged that he was old and feeble1 and that he would die on the journey1 but ,urban's commands were peremptory4 ,galileo was deeply depressed by the summons1 and wrote a friend3 ,this vexes me so much that it makes me curse the time devoted to these studies1 in which ,i strove and hoped to deviate somewhat from the beaten track generally pursued by learned men4 ,i not only repent having given the world a portion of my writings1 but feel inclined to suppress those still in hand1 and to give them to the flames1 and thus satisfy the longing desire of my enemies1 to whom my ideas are so inconvenient4 ,on ,january #bj1 #afcc1 the decrepit old man set out in a litter for ,rome1 arriving on ,february #ac4 ,on ,april #ab1 he was brought before the ,inquisition1 and briefly examined and then remanded to prison1 though treated with great leniency4 ,the anxiety and deprivation from outdoor exercise brought on illness1 and he was confined to his bed till led a second time before the ,inquisition1 ,april #cj4 ,weak1 aged1 in fear of torture1 he made the melancholy confession that his error had been one of vainglorious ambition1 and pure ignorance and inadvertence4 ,pure ignorance6 from the man who had studied for fifty years all that the world knew of science6 ,but he recalled how men had died at the stake for offending the church4 ,the world is not full of men and women who can suffer death for their convictions1 however much we may admire such courage4 ,on ,may #aj1 he was summoned a third time before the ,inquisition1 and told that he had eight days in which to write his defence4 ,in touching language he stated how the book had been examined and re examined by the authorities1 so that there might be nothing heterodox in it2 and then he urged them to consider his age and feeble health4 ,a fourth time he came before the ,holy ,congregation1 ,june #ba1 and was asked whether he held that the sun is the centre of the solar system1 and that the earth is not the centre1 and that it moves4 ,he replied1 ,i do not hold1 and have not held this opinion of ,copernicus since the command was intimated to me that ,i must abandon it2 for the rest1 ,i am here in your hands1--do with me what you please4 ,and then ,june #bb1 in the forenoon1 in the large hall of the ,dominican ,convent of ,st4 ,maria sopra la ,minerva1 in the presence of cardinals and prelates1 he heard his sentence4 ,the proposition that the sun is the centre of the world and does not move from its place is absurd1 and false philosophically1 and formally heretical1 because it is expressly contrary to the ,holy ,scripture4 ,the proposition that the earth is not the centre of the world and immovable1 but that it moves1 and also with a diurnal motion1 is equally absurd and false philosophically2 and theologically considered1 at least1 erroneous in faith4444 ,invoking1 therefore1 the most holy name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ and of ,his most glorious mother and ever ,virgin ,mary 444 we say1 pronounce1 sentence1 declare1 that you1 the said ,galileo1 by reason of the matters adduced in process1 and by you confessed as above1 have rendered yourself1 in the judgment of this ,holy ,office1 vehemently suspected of heresy1--namely1 of having believed and held the doctrine1 which is false and contrary to the sacred and divine ,scriptures1--that the sun is the centre of the world and does not move from east to west1 and that the earth moves and is not the centre of the world4444 ,we condemn you to the formal prison of this ,holy ,office during our pleasure1 and1 by way of salutary penance1 we enjoin that for three years to come you repeat once a week the seven ,penitential ,psalms4 ,galileo was also required to abjure1 curse1 and detest the aforesaid errors and heresies4 ,and then the white-haired man of seventy1 humbly kneeling before the whole assembly1 made the pitiful abjuration of his belief4 ,i abjure with a sincere heart and unfeigned faith1 ,i curse and detest the said errors and heresies1 and1 generally1 all and every error and sect contrary to the ,holy ,catholic ,church4 ,pitiful spectacle of intolerance6 ,if we of this nineteenth century have learned to tolerate and treat with respect the beliefs of others though widely divergent from our own1 perhaps this wretched drama was not acted in vain4 ,it has been said that ,galileo exclaimed as he rose from his feet1 ,e pur si muove1 ,it moves1 for all that1 but this would have been well nigh an impossibility1 in the midst of men who would instantly have taken him to a dungeon1 and the story is no longer believed4 ,on ,july #i1 poor ,galileo was allowed to leave ,rome for ,siena1 where he stayed five months in the house of the archbishop1 and then became a prisoner in his own house at ,arcetri1 with strict injunctions that he was not to entertain friends1 nor to allow the assemblage of many at a time4 ,he wrote sadly to ,maria ,celeste1 ,my name is erased from the book of the living4 ,tender words came back1 saying that it seemed a thousand years since she had seen him1 and that she would recite the seven penitential psalms for him1 to save you the trouble of remembering it4 ,in less than a year1 sweet ,maria ,celeste had said the last psalms for him4 ,she died ,april #a1 #afcd1 at thirty-three years of age1 leaving ,galileo heart-broken2 a woman1 he said1 of exquisite mind1 singular goodness1 and most tenderly attached to me4 ,he went to work on another book1 but he said1 pathetically1 ,i hear her constantly calling me6 ,beautiful spirit1 that will forever shed a halo around the name of ,galileo ,galilei6 ,in the summer of #afcf1 he completed his ,dialogues on ,motion1 and sent it to ,leyden for publication4 ,the next year he made his last discovery1 known as the moon's librations4 ,the house at ,arcetri had become dark and lonely4 ,the wife of ,michelangelo1 her three daughters and a son1 had all died of the plague4 ,it was doubly dark1 for ,galileo had become hopelessly blind1 so that this heaven1 this earth1 this universe1 which ,i by my marvellous discoveries and clear demonstrations had enlarged a hundred thousand times beyond the belief of the wise men of bygone ages1 henceforward for me is shrunk into such a small space as is filled by my own bodily sensations4 ,his last work was a short treatise on the secondary light of the moon4 ,i am obliged now1 he said1 sadly1 to have recourse to other hands and other pens than mine since my sad loss of sight4 ,this1 of course1 occasions great loss of time1 particularly now that my memory is impaired by advanced age2 so that in placing my thoughts on paper1 many and many a time ,i am forced to have the foregoing sentences read to me before ,i can tell what ought to follow2 else ,i should repeat the same thing over and over4 ,he had planned other work1 but death came on the evening of ,january #h1 #afdb1 eight years after ,celeste left him4 ,his beloved pupils1 ,torricelli and ,viviani1 and his son ,vincenzo1 stood by his bedside4 ,he desired to be buried in the family vault of the ,galilei in ,santa ,croce1 at ,florence1 and the city at once voted a public funeral and three thousand crowns for a marble mausoleum4 ,but the church at ,rome prevented1 lest the pernicious doctrine that the earth moves1 should thereby have confirmation4 ,he was therefore buried in an obscure corner of ,del ,noviziato1 a side chapel of ,santa ,croce4 ,a century later1 ,march #ab1 #agcg1 in the presence of the learned men of ,italy1 with great ceremony1 the bones of ,galileo were removed to a new resting-place in ,santa ,croce1 and buried with his beloved friend1 ,viviani4 ,an imposing monument was erected over him4 ,the truth finally triumphed1 as it always does4 ,the works of ,galileo1 in sixteen volumes1 are no longer prohibited1 as they were in his lifetime4 ,,sir ,,isaac ,,newton4 ,illustration3 ,,sir ,,isaac ,,newton4 ,in the same year1 #afdb1 in which ,galileo1 sad and blind1 went away from the earth1 ,sir ,isaac ,newton came to make his home upon it4 ,he was born ,december #be1 the only child of ,isaac ,newton and ,hannah ,ayscough4 ,the father died at thirty-seven1 a few months after his marriage1 and the young wife1 after the birth of her child1 was both father and mother to the helpless infant4 ,he was so frail that there seemed little probability that he could live to manhood1 or even boyhood4 ,naturally1 between mother and son there grew a most ardent affection1 which neither time nor death could change4 ,the manor-house of ,woolsthorpe in ,colsterworth1 ,lincoln county1 was a two-story stone building1 owned for a century by the ,newton family1 and bringing a limited income from the little farm in connection with it4 ,here ,isaac passed his childhood1 going to the schools near by1 and learning to read1 write1 and cipher4 ,at twelve1 he was sent to the public school at ,grantham1 where he showed little taste for study1 and managed easily to stand at the foot of his class4 ,when he was the last in the lowermost form but one1 the boy next above him1 as they were going to school1 gave ,isaac a kick1 which occasioned severe pain4 ,stirred with wrath1 ,isaac challenged the other boy to a fight4 ,for this purpose1 they repaired to a neighboring churchyard1 where young ,newton1 though much the smaller and weaker of the two1 pounded his antagonist till he was glad to come to any terms of submission4 ,he resolved now that this boy should no longer stand above him in scholarship1 and with a new ambition and energy born of his insult1 he soon rose to the highest place in the school4 ,it was not idleness1 probably1 that made ,newton a poor scholar1 but his mind was absorbed with making saws1 hammers1 hatchets1 and other tools4 ,he made a windmill and placed it on the top of his home1 the wind putting it in motion4 ,when there was no wind1 a novel expedient was resorted to4 ,a mouse1 which was called the miller1 was trained to turn the windmill by walking on a tread wheel1 with some corn just beyond his reach6 ,all through life1 he was exceedingly kind to animals1 and could never tolerate shooting or hunting for sport4 ,he objected to one of his nephews1 when praised in his presence1 that he loved killing of birds1 and this was sufficient to win his disesteem4 ,it is probable1 therefore1 that the little mouse was kindly cared for by the young experimenter4 ,he also made a water clock1 about four feet high1 with a dial-plate at the top1 with figures of the hours4 ,the index was turned by a piece of wood1 which either fell or rose by water dropping4 ,every morning the lad supplied his clock with the proper amount of water4 ,besides these1 he invented a four-wheeled carriage1 which was moved with a handle by the person who sat in it4 ,for his boy friends1 he made lanterns of crimpled paper with a candle inside1 to light them to school in the dark winter mornings1 and paper kites of the best form and proportion4 ,in dark nights he tied the lanterns to the tails of his kites1 and ignorant people sometimes mistook them for comets6 ,on the manor-house at ,woolsthorpe he carved sun-dials1 which were visible a century later4 ,he was a sober1 silent1 and thinking lad1 who was always hammering in his room1 or making drawings with his pen and pencil1 designing with charcoal on his walls1 birds1 animals1 ships1 and mathematical diagrams4 ,mrs4 ,newton1 the mother1 had married again1 after a singular courtship4 ,mr4 ,smith1 a neighboring clergyman1 who had a very good estate1 had lived a bachelor till he was pretty old1 and1 one of his parishioners advising him to marry1 he said he did not know where to meet with a good wife4 ,the man answered1 ',the widow ,newton is an extraordinary good woman4' ',but1' said ,mr4 ,smith1 'how do ,i know she will have me1 and ,i don't care to ask and be denied2 but if you will go and ask her1 ,i will pay you for your day's work4' ,he went accordingly4 ,her answer was1 she would be advised by her brother ,ayscough1 upon which ,mr4 ,smith sent the same person to ,mr4 ,ayscough on the same errand1 who1 upon consulting with his sister1 treated with ,mr4 ,smith1 who gave her son ,isaac a parcel of land1 one of the terms insisted upon by the widow if she married him4 ,though for a time she was thus removed from ,isaac1 leaving him with his grandmother1 on the death of ,rev4 ,mr4 ,smith1 she returned to the manor-house4 ,when ,isaac had reached his fifteenth year1 his mother1 not seeming to think of any profession for her mechanical son1 decided to make of him a farmer and grazier4 ,on ,saturdays1 the market day at ,grantham1 she would send him with grain and other agricultural produce1 in the care of an old and trusty servant4 ,the boy had no taste for selling produce1 and would hasten to the attic in the house of ,mr4 ,clark1 an apothecary1 with whom he had boarded while at school1 and there spend his hours in reading old books1 till the time came for him to go home1 the servant meantime having sold the vegetables4 ,sometimes1 however1 the lad would not go as far as ,grantham1 but1 seating himself beside a hedge along the road1 would read some favorite author till the servant returned4 ,when his mother sent him to watch the cattle1 they enjoyed a neighbor's corn-field1 while he enjoyed a book or whittled out water-wheels4 ,it did not seem intentional disobedience toward a mother of whom he was very fond1 but complete absorption in some other pursuit4 ,when he was sixteen he was greatly interested in finding the proper form of a body which would offer the least resistance when moving in a fluid4 ,in a severe storm1 to test the force of the gale1 he jumped first in the direction in which the wind blew1 and then in opposition to the wind1 and after measuring the length of the leap in both directions1 and comparing it with the length to which he could jump in a perfectly calm day1 he was enabled to compute the force of the storm4 ,his mother soon found that her boy would not make a successful farmer1 and sent him back to school at ,grantham1 to prepare for ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge1 which he entered when he was nineteen4 ,it is probable that the time spent at ,grantham was a happy time2 for young ,newton there met and1 it is said1 loved ,miss ,storey1 sister of ,dr4 ,storey1 a physician near ,colsterworth1 and daughter of the apothecary's second wife4 ,she was two or three years younger than ,newton1 a girl of attractive face and unusual talents4 ,as his income as a ,fellow was small1 after leaving college1 they did not marry1 though his interest in her continued unabated through life4 ,though she was twice married1 he never paid a visit to ,woolsthorpe without going to see her1 and liberally relieved her from little pecuniary embarrassments1 when his own circumstances had become easy4 ,how the world loves constancy2 an affection which knows no change6 ,that he would have been happier in those quiet years of study1 even in his poverty1 had he married1 is probable2 but that the world gained by his undivided devotion to science1 is equally probable4 ,on ,july #h1 #affa1 ,newton entered college1 and soon1 through the study of ,descartes' ,geometry1 showed his skill in higher mathematics4 ,and now began an almost unexampled development of mind4 ,at twenty-two1 he was studying a comet so closely1 and the circles and halo round the moon1 that he impaired his health by sitting up late at night4 ,in #affe1 ,may #bj1 when he was twenty-three1 he committed to writing his first discovery of fluxions--the infinitely small increase or decrease of a variable or flowing quantity in a certain infinitely small and constant period of time4 ,the same year1 when the college had been dismissed on account of the plague in ,cambridge1 ,newton made his immortal discovery of the ,attraction of ,gravitation4 ,while sitting alone in his garden at ,woolsthorpe1 and observing an apple fall to the ground1 it occurred to him that as the same power by which the apple fell was not sensibly diminished at the summits of the loftiest spires1 nor on the tops of the highest mountains1 it might extend to the moon1 about which he had been studying1 and retain her in her orbit4 ,if to the moon1 why not to the planets8 ,the tree from which the apple fell was so much decayed in #ahbj1 that it was cut down1 but the wood was carefully preserved by ,mr4 ,turnor of ,stoke ,rocheford4 ,in the beginning of the following year1 #afff1 when ,newton was twenty-four1 he purchased a prism1 in order to make some experiments on ,descartes' theory of colors4 ,he made a hole in his window shutter1 darkened the room1 and admitted a ray of the sunlight4 ,on the opposite wall he saw the solar or prismatic spectrum1 an elongated image of the sun1 about five times as long as it was broad1 and consisting of seven different colors2 red1 orange1 yellow1 green1 blue1 indigo1 and violet4 ,white light was thus discovered to be of a compound nature2 a mixture of all the colors4 ,he said1 ,whiteness is the usual color of light2 for light is a confused aggregate of rays endued with all sorts of colors1 as they are promiscuously darted from the various parts of luminous bodies4 ,if any one color predominates1 the light will incline to that color1 as the yellow flame of a candle4 ,heretofore1 there had been all sorts of conjectures about the nature and origin of colors4 ,descartes believed them to be a modification of light1 depending on the direct or rotary motion of its particles4 ,but ,newton showed by many experiments that color is a property of light1 or innate in light itself4 ,we speak of a thing as red because it reflects red1 and absorbs all the other colors4 ,the green leaf stops or absorbs the red1 blue1 and violet rays of the white light1 and reflects and transmits only those which compose its green4 ,he also found that the red rays are refracted or turned out of their course least of all the colors1 and violet most1 thereby discovering the different refrangibility of the rays of light2 a discovery which has had the most extensive applications to every branch of science1 and1 what is very rare in the history of inventions1 one to which no other person has made the slightest claim4 ,his beautiful experiments with rings resulted in his ,scale of ,colors1 of great value in optical research4 ,in #affh1 when ,newton was twenty-six1 he constructed a small reflecting telescope1 and soon a larger one1 which he sent to the ,royal ,society2 and was made a member of that body1 in #afga4 ,two years previously he had been appointed to the ,lucasian professorship of mathematics at ,cambridge4 ,he was now1 at twenty-seven1 spoken of as a man of unparalleled genius4 ,he had discovered the compound nature of white light1 the attraction of gravity1 fluxions1 and made the first reflecting telescope ever directed toward the heavens1 though one had been invented previously1 by ,james ,gregory1 of ,aberdeen4 ,the boy who had thought of a mouse to turn his windmill had thought out some of the sublimest things in nature1 and was henceforward to rank as one of the few masterminds of science4 ,newton's doctrine of colors met with the most bitter opposition4 ,at last1 he became so tired of the controversy1 that he wrote ,leibnitz1 ,i was so persecuted with discussions arising out of my theory of light1 that ,i blamed my own imprudence for parting with so substantial a blessing as my quiet to run after a shadow4 ,to another he wrote1 ,i see ,i have made myself a slave to philosophy2 but if ,i get free of ,mr4 ,linus's business1 ,i will resolutely bid adieu to it eternally1 excepting what ,i do for my private satisfaction1 or leave to come out after me2 for ,i see a man must either resolve to put out nothing new1 or to become a slave to defend it4 ,newton was also troubled pecuniarily at this time1 and asked to be excused from the weekly payments to the ,royal ,society1 thereby resigning his membership4 ,he even meditated the study of law1 as his income was so limited4 ,strange that so many of the great things of this life are wrought out by those who are in sorrow or privation4 ,but amid all the opposition to his discoveries and his poverty1 the unparalleled devotion to study was continued4 ,when he was weary of other branches1 he said he refreshed himself with history and chronology4 ,years afterward he published the ,chronology of ,ancient ,kingdoms amended1 to which is prefixed a short chronicle1 from the first memory of things in ,europe1 to the ,conquest of ,persia1 by ,alexander the ,great4 ,says a gentleman who was with him for years1 ,i never knew him to take any recreation or pastime1 either in riding out to take the air1 walking1 boating1 or any other exercise whatever1 thinking all hours lost that were not spent in his studies1 to which he kept so close that he seldom left his chamber except at term time1 when he read in the schools1 as being ,lucasianus ,professor1 where so few went to hear him1 and fewer that understood him1 that oftentimes he did in a manner1 for want of hearers1 read to the walls4444 ,so intent1 so serious upon his studies that he ate very sparingly1 nay1 ofttimes he has forgot to eat at all1 so that1 going into his chamber1 ,i have found his mess untouched1 of which when ,i have reminded him he would reply1 ',have ,i8' and then making to the table1 would eat a bit or two standing1 for ,i cannot say ,i ever saw him sit at table by himself4 ,at some seldom entertainments the masters of colleges were chiefly his guests4 ,he very rarely went to bed till two or three of the clock1 sometimes not till five or six1 lying about four or five hours1 especially at spring and fall of the leaf1 at which times he used to employ about six weeks in his elaboratory1 the fire scarcely going out either night or day1 he sitting up one night1 and ,i another1 till he had finished his chemical experiments1 in the performances of which he was the most accurate1 strict1 exact4444 ,when his most intense studies were carried on1 he learned to go to bed at twelve1 finding by experience that if he exceeded that hour but a little1 it did him more harm in his health than a whole day's study4 ,he very rarely went to dine in the hall1 except on some public days1 and then if he has not been minded1 would go very carelessly1 with shoes down at heels1 stockings untied1 surplice on1 and his head scarcely combed4444 ,at some seldom times when he designed to dine in the hall1 he would turn to the left hand and go out into the street1 when making a stop when he found his mistake1 would hastily turn back1 and then sometimes1 instead of going into the hall1 would return to his chamber again4444 ,in his chamber he walked so very much that you might have thought him to be educated at ,athens1 among the ,aristotelian sect4 ,so absent-minded was he1 the story is told of him1 that going home to ,colsterworth1 he led his horse up a hill4 ,when he designed to remount1 the animal had slipped the bridle and gone away unperceived1 though ,newton held the bridle in his hand all the time4 ,he would often sit down on his bedside after he rose1 and remain there for hours without dressing1 so completely absorbed was he in his thought4 ,how few in all this world have been so devoted to science6 ,and yet how many expect success without this devotion6 ,the same gentleman writes of ,newton1 ,his carriage was very meek1 sedate1 and humble1 never seemingly angry1 of profound thought1 his countenance mild1 pleasant1 and comely4 ,i cannot say ,i ever saw him laugh but once4 ,in #afhg1 when ,newton was forty-five1 his ,philosophiae ,naturalis ,principia ,mathematica was published4 ,the ,principia consists of three books4 ,the ,first ,book1 besides the definition and axioms1 or laws of motion1 with which it begins1 consists of fourteen sections1 in the first of which the author explains the method of prime and ultimate ratios used in his investigations1 and which is similar to the method of fluxions4 ,the other sections treat of centripetal forces1 and motions in fixed and movable orbits4 ,the ,second ,book consists of nine sections1 and treats of bodies moving in resisting media1 or oscillating as pendulums4 ,the ,third ,book consists of five sections1 on the ,causes of the ,system of the ,world1 on the ,quantity of ,lunar ,errors1 on the ,quantity of the ,tides1 on the ,precession of the ,equinoxes1 and on ,comets4 ,the great principle of the ,principia is universal gravitation1 ,that every particle of matter in the universe is attracted by or gravitates to every other particle of matter1 with a force inversely proportional to the squares of their distances4 ,by the laws of gravity1 ,newton was enabled to calculate the quantity of matter in the sun1 and in all the planets1 and even to determine their density1 results which ,adam ,smith said were above the reach of human reason and experience4 ,he ascertained that the weight of the same body would be twenty-three times greater at the surface of the sun than at the surface of the earth1 and that the density of the earth was four times greater than that of the sun4 ,he found the true figure of the earth2 he explained the phenomena of the tides4 ,of the ,principia1 ,sir ,david ,brewster says1 in his able life of ,sir ,isaac ,newton1 it is a work which will be memorable not only in the annals of one science or of one country1 but which will form an epoch in the history of the world1 and will ever be regarded as the brightest page in the records of human reason1--a work1 may we not add1 which would be read with delight in every planet of our system1--in every system of the universe4 ,what a glorious privilege was it to have been the author of the ',principia'6 ,there was but one earth upon whose form1 and tides1 and movements1 the philosopher could exercise his genius1--one moon whose perturbations and inequalities and actions he could study1--one sun whose controlling force and apparent motions he could calculate and determine1--one system of planets whose mutual disturbances could tax his highest reason1--one system of comets whose eccentric paths he could explore and rectify1--and one universe of stars to whose binary and multiple combinations he could extend the law of terrestrial gravity4 ,to have been the chosen sage summoned to the study of that earth1 these systems1 and that universe1 the favored lawgiver to worlds unnumbered1 the high priest in the temple of boundless space1--was a privilege that could be granted but one member of the human family2--and to have executed the last was an achievement which1 in its magnitude1 can be measured only by the infinite in space1 and in the duration of its triumphs by the infinite in time4 ,that sage1--that lawgiver1--that high priest was ,newton4 ,the ,principia created the greatest interest throughout ,europe1 but met with violent opposition4 ,while ,laplace said it would take pre-eminence above all the other productions of human genius1 the majority could not believe that great planets were suspended in empty space1 and retained in their orbits by an invisible power in the sun4 ,when ,newton presented copies to the heads of colleges1 some of them1 ,dr4 ,babington of ,trinity among the number1 said1 they might study seven years before they understood anything of it4 ,in #afhg1 ,newton's method of fluxions was first published1 twenty years after its invention1 and then because the friends of ,leibnitz1 the author of the ,differential ,calculus1 claimed priority of discovery4 ,the quarrel aroused the scientific world1 embittered the silent mathematician1 and impaired his health4 ,in #afhi1 when he was forty-seven1 he was chosen member of parliament1 and represented ,cambridge ,university in the ,house of ,commons for thirteen months4 ,he took no active part in the debates1 but was of course respected for his wonderful mind4 ,this same year1 his beloved mother died4 ,anxiously he had watched through whole nights by her bedside1 seeking in all ways to keep her from leaving him alone in the world4 ,he was now nearly fifty4 ,his life had been laborious1 with an insufficient income4 ,his friends1 ,john ,locke among the number1 tried to obtain various positions for him1 but failed4 ,they recommended him for provost of ,king's ,college1 but the position could not be obtained because he had not taken priest's orders4 ,seemingly unappreciated1 worn with his incessant brain work1 his appetite failing1 and unable to sleep1 with neither mother nor wife to comfort him1 the sensitive organization of the great man became overstrained1 and mind and body were unfitted for work4 ,it is stated that his ill health was in part consequent upon the burning of some manuscripts on optics1 by a lighted candle on the table among his papers4 ,when he was fifty-three1 the long hard road of poverty turned into a highway of plenty1 through the influence of a friend4 ,charles ,montague1 an associate of ,newton at the university and also in parliament1 though nineteen years his junior1--intellectual affinities are uninfluenced by age1--had been made ,commissioner of the ,treasury1 then ,privy ,councillor1 then ,chancellor of the ,exchequer1 and later still1 ,baron of ,halifax4 ,lord ,halifax appointed ,newton to be ,warden of the ,mint1 and then ,master1 with an income of between six thousand and seven thousand five hundred dollars annually1 which position he held for the remainder of his life4 ,his home in ,london1 where he kept six servants1 with his brilliant niece1 ,miss ,catherine ,barton1 for his companion1 became a place of rest and comfort to the tired philosopher4 ,lord ,halifax was a great admirer of ,newton's niece1 ,miss ,catherine ,barton1 to whom he left1 at his death1 a beautiful home and twenty-five thousand dollars1 as a token of the sincere love1 affection1 and esteem ,i have long had for her person1 and as a small recompense for the pleasure and happiness ,i have had in her conversation4 ,the days of privation were over1 and ,newton had earned this rest and prosperity4 ,great people often came to dine with him4 ,at one of his dinners1 ,newton proposed to drink1 not to the health of kings and princes1 but to all honest persons1 to whatever country they belonged4 ,we are all friends1 he added1 because we unanimously aim at the only object worthy of man1 which is the knowledge of truth4 ,we are also of the same religion1 because1 leading a simple life1 we conform ourselves to what is right1 and we endeavor sincerely to give to the ,supreme ,being that worship which1 according to our feeble lights1 we are persuaded will please him most4 ,other honors now come to ,newton4 ,in #agjc1 he was elected ,president of the ,royal ,society1 and was annually reelected during the remaining twenty-five years of his life4 ,on ,april #af1 #agje1 when he was sixty-three1 ,queen ,anne conferred the honor of knighthood upon her most illustrious subject1 ,sir ,isaac ,newton1 before a distinguished company at ,cambridge ,university4 ,in #agjd1 the year previous1 his great work on optics had been published1 written over twenty years before4 ,about this time1 it seems that the great philosopher would have liked to marry ,lady ,norris1 the widow of ,sir ,william ,norris1 ,baronet of ,speke1 and ,member of ,parliament4 ,sent to ,delhi as ambassador to the ,great ,mogul1 he died in #agjb1 between ,mauritius and ,st4 ,helena1 on his homeward passage4 ,he was the third husband to ,lady ,norris1 and ,sir ,isaac1 now over sixty1 desired to be the fourth1 as appears from the following letter3-- ,madam1--,your ladyship's great grief at the loss of ,sir ,william shows that if he had returned safe home1 your ladyship could have been glad to have lived still with a husband1 and therefore your aversion at present from marrying again can proceed from nothing else than the memory of him whom you have lost4 ,to be always thinking on the dead1 is to live a melancholy life among sepulchres1 and how much grief is an enemy to your health1 is very manifest by the sickness it brought when you received the first news of your widowhood4 ,and can your ladyship resolve to spend the rest of your days in grief and sickness8 ,can you resolve to wear a widow's habit perpetually1--a habit which is less acceptable to company1 a habit which will be always putting you in mind of your lost husband1 and thereby promote you grief and indisposition till you leave it off8 ,the proper remedy for all these mischiefs is a new husband1 and whether your ladyship should admit of a proper remedy for such maladies1 is a question which ,i hope will not need much time to consider of4 ,whether your ladyship should go constantly in the melancholy dress of a widow1 or flourish once more among the ladies2 whether you should spend the rest of your days cheerfully or in sadness1 in health or in sickness1 are questions which need not much consideration to decide them4 ,besides that your ladyship will be better able to live according to your quality by the assistance of a husband than upon your own estate alone2 and1 therefore1 since your ladyship likes the person proposed1 ,i doubt not but in a little time to have notice of your ladyship's inclinations to marry1 at least1 that you will give him leave to discourse with you about it4 ,i am1 madam1 your ladyship's most humble and most obedient servant4 ,if ,lady ,norris liked the person proposed1 as ,sir ,isaac imagined1 a marriage was not the result4 ,it is just possible that he was like ,leibnitz1 who proposed to a lady when he was fifty4 ,the lady asked for time to take the matter into consideration1 and as ,leibnitz thus obtained leisure to consider the matter again1 he was never married4 ,for thirteen years ,sir ,isaac lived on ,jermyn ,street1 ,london2 then moved to ,chelsea1 a place dear to those who love ,george ,eliot or admire ,carlyle2 and then to ,martin ,street1 near ,leicester ,fields4 ,in his latter years he wrote much on theological subjects1 especially to prove the existence of a ,deity4 ,when he was eighty-three he published a third edition of the ,principia4 ,at eighty-five he read manuscript without spectacles4 ,he reasoned as acutely as ever1 his memory alone failing4 ,on ,march #b1 #agbg1 he presided at a meeting of the ,royal ,society4 ,he was taken ill on the following day1 and1 although a great sufferer for several days1 never uttered a complaint4 ,he died on ,monday1 ,march #bj1 and his body was laid in the ,jerusalem ,chamber1 and thence conveyed to ,westminster ,abbey for burial4 ,the pall was supported by the ,lord ,high ,chancellor and several ,dukes and ,earls4 ,on the front of his monument are sculptured youths1 bearing in their hands emblematic designs of ,newton's principal discoveries4 ,one carries a prism1 another a reflecting telescope1 a third is weighing the sun and planets with a steelyard1 a fourth is employed about a furnace1 and two others are loaded with money newly coined4 ,the monument bears this inscription4 ,,here ,,lies ,,sir ,,isaac ,,newton1 ,,knight1 ,who by a vigor of mind1 almost supernatural1 ,first demonstrated ,the motions and figures of the ,planets1 ,the ,paths of the ,comets1 and the ,tides of the ,ocean4 ,he diligently investigated ,the different refrangibilities of the ,rays of ,light1 ,and the properties of the ,colors to which they give rise4 ,an ,assiduous1 ,sagacious1 and ,faithful ,interpreter of ,nature1 ,antiquity1 and the ,holy ,scriptures1 ,he asserted in his ,philosophy the ,majesty of ,god1 and exhibited in his ,conduct the simplicity of the ,gospel4 ,let ,mortals rejoice that there has existed such and so great ,,an ,,ornament ,,of ,,the ,,human ,,race4 ,born #be ,dec41 #afdb2 ,died #bj ,march1 #agbg4 ,a beautiful full-length1 white marble statue of ,sir ,isaac was erected in the ante-chapel of ,trinity ,college1 where he had done his wonderful work1 when scarcely more than a boy4 ,while he gave generously during his life1 he said1 they who give nothing till they die1 never give at all1--he left a personal estate of one hundred and sixty thousand dollars1 to be divided among his nephews and nieces4 ,the world honored him at last1 and has through all the years4 ,bishop ,burnet said1 ,newton had the whitest soul he ever knew4 ,his habits were of the best4 ,when asked to take snuff or tobacco1 he declined1 saying1 he would make no necessities to himself4 ,he was modest to the last1 saying1 that whatever service he had done the public was not owing to any extraordinary sagacity1 but solely to industry and patient thought4 ,he said1 a short time before his death3 ,i do not know what ,i may appear to the world1 but to myself ,i seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore1 and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary1 whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me4 ,,carl ,,linnaeus4 ,illustration3 ,,carl ,,linnaeus4 ,it was on the #bdth of ,july that we left ,stockholm1 the ,venice of the ,north1 built on her nine islands1 for the famous university town of ,upsala1 ,sweden4 ,the ride1 of about two hours by rail1 lay along fine fields of wheat1 blue with corn-flowers1 and past comfortable-looking red farmhouses and barns4 ,the town1 of thirteen thousand people1 is quaint and quiet1 yet most interesting to a stranger4 ,we wander over the grand old ,gothic cathedral1 begun six hundred years ago4 ,here is the silver-gilt sarcophagus of ,king ,eric ,,ix41 who died in #aafj1 and of ,john ,,iii4 ,here1 also1 that of ,gustavus ,vasa1 the deliverer of ,sweden1 on a high marble pedestal supported by pillars1 a recumbent figure of a wife on either side4 ,a third wife is buried near by4 ,the walls of the chapel where he lies are covered with frescoes1 depicting scenes in that wonderful life2 from the rags of the miner1 to the sumptuousness of the throne4 ,but especially are we interested in a plain slab1 underneath which sleeps the man who1 more than any other1 has immortalized ,upsala ,university1 and helped to make ,sweden an intellectual and studious country4 ,near by is the monument of dark porphyry1 with the plain1 shaven face in bronze1 wreathed with laurel1 and the words ,carolo a ,linne ,botanicorum ,principi ,amici et ,discipuli1 #agih4 ,then we turn our steps to the ,university1 the pride and hope of ,sweden4 ,here fifteen hundred gather1 not in dormitories--which were tried fifty years ago and discarded--but scattered in various homes1 as in the ,german universities4 ,women are educated here on equal terms with men1 and we are assured by the professors that1 though admitted only a few years ago1 their presence is most helpful1 and the plan has proved entirely successful4 ,no duels are allowed1 these having been abolished by stringent laws two hundred years ago2 a thing ,germany should long since have done1 and thus ended this brutal custom4 ,here is the ,astronomical ,observatory1 the ,chemical ,laboratory1 ,anatomy ,building1 ,academic ,department1 and handsome library with two hundred thousand volumes and over seven thousand manuscripts4 ,here we look at the celebrated ,codex ,argenteus1 a translation of the four ,gospels by ,bishop ,ulfila1 dating from the second half of the fourth century1 written on one hundred and eighty-eight leaves of parchment--gold and silver letters on a reddish ground2 and the manuscript of ,frithiof's ,saga1 by ,tegner4 ,now we visit the ,botanic ,garden1 which ,linnaeus so loved and developed1 and go over the two-and-a-half-story stuccoed house1 cream-colored1 where the great naturalist lived and entertained princes4 ,under these dark poplars1 enormous in size1 he taught the pupils who came from all parts of the world to hear him4 ,the dark1 closed blinds are as he left them1 for ,sweden would not change one thing about the precious home4 ,too little in our own country do we treasure the homes of those who give honor to the nation4 ,the history of ,linnaeus is1 indeed1 a romance4 ,few have had such great struggles with poverty2 few have come off such conquerors4 ,few lives have given to the world such lessons of cheerfulness1 of perseverance1 and of untiring industry4 ,he was born1 ,may1 #agjg1 at ,rashult1 in the south of ,sweden1 the son of a poor minister1 and the eldest of five children4 ,the father1 ,nils ,linnaeus1 had obtained his education by the hardest toil1 and1 while he had only poverty to offer his family1 he gave them what money could not buy1 tender affection1 and the inspiring influence of a cultivated mind that loved nature and studied her closely4 ,his mother1 ,christina1 a woman of sense1 prudence1 and good judgment1 was his idol4 ,he wrote of her in later years3 ,she possessed all the virtues of her sex1 devoting the utmost attention to impressing on my mind the love of virtue1 both in precept and example4 ,from a child he was fond of his father's garden1 and gathered from the fields all kinds of wild flowers4 ,he says of himself in his autobiography3 ,he was scarcely four years old when he accompanied his father at a feast at ,moekler1 and in the evening1 it being a very pleasant season of the year1 the guests seated themselves on some flowery turf1 listening to the pastor1 who made various remarks on the names and properties of the plants1 showing them the roots of the succisa1 tormentilla1 orchids1 etc4 ,the child paid the most uninterrupted attention to all he saw and heard1 and from that hour never ceased harassing his father about the name1 qualities1 and nature of every plant he met with2 indeed1 he very often asked more than his father was able to answer1 but1 like other children1 he used immediately to forget what he had learned1 and especially the names of plants4 ,hence the father was sometimes put out of humor1 and refused to answer him unless he would promise to remember what was told him4 ,nor had this harshness any bad effect1 for he afterward retained with ease whatever he heard4 ,when he was eight1 a piece of ground was assigned him1 which was called ,carl's ,garden4 ,here he gathered plants and flowers1 and introduced so many rare weeds that his father had great trouble in eradicating them6 ,so interested did ,carl become1 that he had nests of wild bees and wasps1 not agreeable playthings usually4 ,but the play days with weeds and wasps came to an end1 for the bright boy had to go to school4 ,his first teacher was a passionate and morose man1 better calculated for extinguishing a youth's talents than for improving them1 and the next pursued the same methods1 preferring stripes and punishments to encouragements and admonitions4 ,there was little time now for the precious study of flowers4 ,at seventeen he had to go to a gymnasium or high school1 where he would be taught classics1 and made ready for the ministry1 like his father4 ,he had no fondness for the languages1 neither for theology or metaphysics3 but having obtained two books on botany1 he read them day and night1 committing them to memory4 ,the teachers and scholars called him the little botanist4 ,what was his father's chagrin1 when he came to the school to visit him1 to hear that ,carl was quite unfit for the ministry1 but would probably make a good tailor or shoemaker6 ,poor as he was1 he had kept his boy at school for about twelve years4 ,now1 well-nigh disheartened1 he stopped1 on his way home1 to confer with his family physician1 ,dr4 ,rothmann4 ,that good man suggested that the boy might like medicine1 and accomplish great things in natural history4 ,he offered to take him into his own home1 and give him lessons in physiology1 which kind proposal the father accepted1 though with little faith4 ,the doctor also taught him botany1 and ,carl grew happy under the new regime4 ,the next year he was sent to the ,university of ,lund1 with the following not very creditable certificate from the head master of the ,gymnasium3 ,youth at school may be compared to shrubs in a garden1 which will sometimes1 though rarely1 elude all the care of the gardener1 but if transplanted into a different soil1 may become fruitful trees4 ,with this view1 therefore1 and no other1 the bearer is sent to the ,university1 where it is possible that he may meet with a climate propitious to his progress4 ,through a friend1 entrance was obtained without showing the obnoxious certificate4 ,carl took lodgings at the house of ,dr4 ,stobaeus1 physician to the king1 who gave him access to his minerals1 shells1 and dried plants4 ,delighted at this1 the youth at once began to make a collection of his own1 and glue them on paper4 ,he longed to gain access to ,dr4 ,stobaeus's library1 but how should it be accomplished8 ,finally a young ,german student1 to whom he taught physiology1 surreptitiously gained the books needed1 and young ,linnaeus spent nearly the whole nights in reading4 ,the doctor's aged mother did not understand why their lodger kept his light burning into the small hours1 and besought her son to investigate4 ,he did so1 and found the crestfallen ,carl reading his own library books4 ,he forgave the student1 took him to his own table and treated him as a son4 ,advised by ,dr4 ,rothmann to go to ,upsala for better medical opportunities1 he proceeded thither1 and here began his bitterest poverty4 ,his father could give him only forty dollars4 ,as he was unknown1 and without influence1 he could obtain no private pupils4 ,starvation actually stared him in the face4 ,he says1 he was obliged to trust to chance for a meal1 and in the article of dress1 was reduced to such shifts that he was obliged1 when his shoes required mending1 to patch them with folded paper1 instead of sending them to the cobbler4 ,often hungry and half clothed1 there seemed nothing before the poor ,swedish lad but obscurity and early death4 ,one day in autumn1 as he was examining some plants in the ,academical ,garden1 a venerable clergyman1 ,dr4 ,olaf ,celsius1 saw him1 and asked him where he came from1 how long he had been at the college1 and what he knew about plants4 ,he1 too1 was interested in botany1 and was preparing a work on the plants mentioned in the ,bible4 ,perhaps something in ,carl's face or manner touched the minister's heart1 for he asked him to go home with him1 and soon offered him board in his own house1 and gave him access to his valuable library4 ,the tide of adversity was beginning to turn4 ,some pupils were obtained1 and a little money flowed into the empty pockets4 ,at twenty-two1 by a close examination of the stamens and pistils of flowers1 he decided upon a new method of arrangement by the sexes of plants1 which1 in after years1 became the basis of his great fame4 ,this procured him the appointment of ,assistant ,lecturer to ,dr4 ,rudbeck in the ,botanical ,garden1 where1 but a year before1 he had asked to be the gardener6 ,he still had little money1 but1 what was equally useful1 some leisure time4 ,he began his great works1 which were not completed for seven years1 ,bibliotheca ,botanica1 ,classes ,plantarum1 ,critica ,botanica1 and ,genera ,plantarum1 letting1 as he said1 not a minute pass unoccupied during his residence at ,upsala4 ,for the latter work he examined the characters of eight thousand flowers4 ,scarcely had he begun this valuable labor1 when the envy of one of the professors became as hard to bear as his previous poverty1 and1 through friends1 he obtained an appointment to study the natural history of ,lapland4 ,it was a hazardous expedition for a young man of twenty-five4 ,now he climbed steep rocks1 which1 he says1 broke loose from a spot which my late guide had just passed1 and fell exactly where ,i had been1 with such force that it struck fire as it went4 ,once1 when floating down a river1 the raft parted in the middle1 and he narrowly escaped drowning4 ,all my food1 he says1 in those fatiguing excursions1 consisted1 for the most part1 of fish and reindeer's milk4 ,bread1 salt1 and what is found everywhere else1 did but seldom recreate my palate4 ,he travelled nearly four thousand miles1 mostly on foot1 often through bogs and marshes1 with the water to his knees1 yet always cheerful1 always enthusiastic4 ,on presenting his report to the ,university1 on his return home1 they gave him about fifty dollars for his travelling expenses for five months6 ,a single incident shows the tender heart of the young explorer4 ,very few birds were visible except the ptarmigan4 ,he says3 ,the little ,alpine variety of the ptarmigan was now accompanied by its young4 ,i caught one of these1 upon which the hen ran so close to me that ,i could easily have taken her also4 ,she kept continually jumping round and round me1 but ,i thought it a pity to deprive the tender brood of their mother2 neither would my compassion for the mother allow me long to detain her offspring1 which ,i returned to her in safety4 ,tenderness to animals seems to be a striking characteristic of great men and women4 ,during the journey1 he found a modest little flower in the great northern forests1 in the moss1 and this he named ,linnaea borealis1 thinking it was so like himself1 expanding in obscurity4 ,he chose for his motto1 ,tantus amor florum1 ,so great is the love for flowers4 ,on his return to ,upsala1 he began courses of private lectures in medicine1 but so bitter was the envy of the before-mentioned professor that the archbishop was prevailed upon to prohibit private lectures4 ,thus deprived of a livelihood1 ,linnaeus turned his attention to mineralogy1 visiting the ,swedish mines4 ,the ,governor of ,dalecarlia was so pleased with him that he engaged him to investigate the productions of his country4 ,here he fell in love with the daughter of ,john ,moraeus1 a well-to-do physician4 ,sara ,elizabeth reciprocated the affections of the young man1 who was told by the father that he must wait three years for a final answer2 for1 in truth1 ,linnaeus's financial prospects were not bright4 ,the ,university of ,upsala did not want him1 and there seemed to be no hope of writing or publishing his books on botany4 ,but a man usually achieves little1 who does not fight his way at every step4 ,now1 indeed1 for love's sake he must make his mark4 ,after saving about seventy-five dollars1 he decided to go to ,germany1 and take his doctor's degree2 but first he must visit his home1 out of which his beloved mother had gone at forty-five4 ,alas6 alas1 my mother6 was all he could say1 as the tears fell fast upon her grave4 ,she had witnessed his poverty and his heroism2 she was not to witness his great renown4 ,at ,hamburg he spent a month1 receiving civilities from many scientific men4 ,he showed his good sense in feeling in no wise humiliated because he was poor1 a valuable lesson for poor young men and women to learn4 ,at ,leyden1 good fortune came to him4 ,dr4 ,gronovius was so pleased with the manuscript of his ,systema ,naturae that he requested to publish it at his own expense4 ,by his advice1 ,carl waited upon the celebrated physician1 ,boerhaave1 and after eight days gained admittance4 ,so famous was this man that when the ,emperor of ,china sent a letter to ,boerhaave1 the famous physician in ,europe1 it easily reached him4 ,he advised a rich banker1 ,mr4 ,clifford1 to have ,linnaeus describe his magnificent collection of plants1 and to send him to ,england and elsewhere1 to collect specimens for him4 ,this was indeed a blessing4 ,here in ,england1 he says1 ,i lived like a prince1 and had one of the finest gardens of the world under my inspection4 ,a society in ,amsterdam advanced the money to pay for the plates for his ,flora ,lapponica1 and fame seemed really to be coming at last4 ,in his visit to ,england1 ,sir ,hans ,sloane1 who founded the ,british ,museum1 looked upon him coldly because he had suggested a different system in natural history from his own6 ,at ,oxford1 ,dillenius said to friends1 sarcastically3 ,see1 this is the young man who confounds all botany6 ,linnaeus felt hurt1 and1 when about to take his departure from the city1 asked the scientist why he had treated him thus4 ,after the young student had explained his work1 ,dillenius became his warm friend1 and pressed him to stay1 and even to share his salary with him4 ,linnaeus was greatly pleased with ,london1 and when he saw the golden furze in its green leaves1 fell on his knees before it4 ,on his return to ,germany he went to the death-bed of ,boerhaave1 whose parting words were3 ,i have lived out my time and done what ,i could4 ,may ,god preserve thee1 from whom the world expects much more6 ,farewell1 my dear ,linnaeus6 ,he now hastened to the idol of his heart in ,sweden1 and what was his amazement to find that the friend to whom he had intrusted his correspondence with ,sara ,elizabeth had been trying to win her for himself6 ,perhaps it would have been quite as well for ,linnaeus had he succeeded6 ,however1 matters were amicably adjusted1 and the long waiting lover became engaged4 ,he repaired at once to ,stockholm to begin the practice of medicine1 still keeping as near ,upsala ,university as possible4 ,and here troubles began anew4 ,he says3 ,being unknown to everybody1 people were unwilling to trust their lives in my hands4 ,nay1 they even hesitated to trust me with their dogs6 ,abroad1 ,i had been honored in every place as ,princeps ,botanicorum2 but in my own country ,i was looked upon as a ,klim1 newly arrived from the subterranean regions6 ,no one cared how many sleepless nights and toilsome hours ,i passed4 ,had ,i not been in love ,i would certainly have left ,sweden and gone abroad4 ,after a time a fortunate cure effected by him brought him speedy popularity4 ,no invalid could now recover without my assistance4 ,i was busy from four in the morning till late in the evening2 nor were my nights left undisturbed4 ,he was soon chosen a member of the ,upsala ,academy1 and at the request of the king1 through his tutor1 ,count ,tessin1 gave public lectures on botany and mineralogy4 ,and now the rising botanist desired to claim his bride4 ,they were accordingly married ,june #bf1 #agci1 when ,linnaeus was thirty-two4 ,dr4 ,moraeus had waited long enough to see that his daughter was making no mistake4 ,life now flowed on smoothly4 ,if the little wife1 as he called her1 governed him with no very gentle sway in after years1 she had great influence over him1 and it is said that at her instigation he persecuted his only son4 ,all the more is ,linnaeus to be admired for accomplishing such a grand work with domestic hindrances4 ,it takes a very great man to be great when his home is not a help to him6 ,however1 he always regarded her as one of the choicest gifts bestowed upon him4 ,his medical practice brought him plenty of money1 but he wrote to a friend3 ,once ,i had plants and no money3 now what is money good for without plants8 ,soon the desire of his heart was granted1 and he was made ,professor of ,botany at ,upsala ,university1 also superintendent of the ,botanical ,garden4 ,now he says3 ,i render thanks to the ,almighty1 who has ordered my lot so that ,i live at this day2 and live1 too1 happier than the ,king of ,persia4 ,i think myself thus blessed because in this academic garden ,i am principal4 ,this is my ,rhodus1 or1 rather1 my ,elysium2 here ,i enjoy the spoils of the ,east and the ,west1 and1 if ,i mistake not1 that which far excels in beauty the garments of the ,babylonians and the porcelain of ,china4 ,his fame grew rapidly4 ,he published1 in #agde1 his ,flora ,suecica1 and a year later his ,fauna ,suecica1 a description of ,swedish plants and animals4 ,his lectures soon1 by their enthusiasm and eloquence1 brought listeners from all parts of ,europe4 ,the number of students in the university grew from five hundred to fifteen hundred1 young men coming even from ,america to hear the great botanist4 ,during the summer he made excursions twice a week1 often at the head of two hundred students1 and when some rare plant was discovered1 the news was announced to the others by horn or trumpet4 ,his scholars1 imbued with his spirit1 went over the world in scientific investigation4 ,some died in the ,arabian deserts2 some in the swamps of ,africa4 ,from foreign students he would take no fee1 as he desired to show them how he loved his work4 ,once he said to a ,german student3 ,tell me1 candidly1 are you rich1 and can you afford it8 ,if you can1 then give the money to my wife2 but1 if you be poor1 so help me ,heaven1 ,i will not take a single farthing from you6 ,most of the scientific societies of ,europe made him a member after his great works were published4 ,the ,imperial ,academy called him ,dioscorides ,secundus2 a gold medal was struck in his honor in #agdf1 and the king made him dean of the ,college of ,physicians4 ,he published two valuable medical books1 and received the honor of the ,knight of the ,polar ,star1 never before conferred for literary merit4 ,he was made a noble1 and took for his motto1 ,famam extendere factis1 adorning his crest with the little flower which he discovered in his poverty4 ,he was made rector of the university1 holding the position for several years4 ,how different from the time when he could obtain only a chance meal1 and covered up the holes in his torn shoes6 ,he bought two estates1 living at one of them--,hammerby--for fifteen years4 ,in #aggd1 when he was sixty-seven1 he suffered an attack of apoplexy in the ,botanical ,garden1 and1 two years later1 another stroke made him a paralytic4 ,when he could no longer walk1 he used to be carried to his museum1 and look long and earnestly at his treasures1 gathered from every clime4 ,his memory so failed him that he mixed the ,greek and ,latin letters1 and forgot even his own name4 ,on the #ajth of ,january1 #aggh1 death came to him in his sleep4 ,the university went into mourning1 the king made a public address1 and the whole nation regarded it as an irreparable loss4 ,his herbarium and library were sold1 after a time1 by the wife1 to ,sir ,james ,e4 ,smith1 the founder of the ,linnaean ,society1 of ,london1 where these treasures are now to be seen1 and most of the one hundred and eighty works which he published during forty-five years4 ,it is said that the ,king of ,sweden1 on learning that the work of ,linnaeus was going out of the country1 sent a man-of-war to recover it1 but without avail4 ,linnaeus was small in body1 with large head1 and the bright1 piercing eyes which usually characterize men and women of genius4 ,of his six children1 the oldest soon became professor of botany1 to assist1 and then succeed1 his father1 but he lacked the parent's just and honorable love of fame4 ,the eldest daughter inherited much of his ability1 being the first to discover the luminous property of the nasturtium flowers at night4 ,sara ,elizabeth survived her noble husband many years1 and now lies beside him in the cathedral4 ,,baron ,,cuvier4 ,illustration3 ,,baron ,,cuvier4 ,in the town of ,montbeliard1 ,france1 then belonging to the ,duke of ,wuertemberg1 ,august #bc1 #agfi1 was born the founder of the ,science of ,comparative ,anatomy2 the greatest naturalist of his time1 ,georges ,leopold ,chretien ,frederic ,dagobert ,cuvier4 ,his father was a brave officer in a ,swiss regiment1 who at fifty married a young lady of unusual ability4 ,their first son died1 and the second1 ,georges1 was so feeble in constitution that his life was saved only by the tenderest care of his mother4 ,for this mother the boy cherished the most ardent affection4 ,while she lived1 there was nothing left undone that a loving nature could do for her4 ,when she died1 everything connected with her memory became sacred4 ,when ,cuvier had become honored by kings and nobles1 when the great from all the world delighted to bring him offerings1 nothing so touched his heart as the gift of a bouquet of red stocks1 her favorite flower4 ,perchance the benignity that came into his face in later years was the result of these sweet remembrances4 ,she taught him to read at four1 and1 though ignorant of ,latin1 she made him repeat his lessons to her daily1 so that he was the best prepared of any boy in school4 ,she read to him history and general literature4 ,she made him draw under her inspection4 ,she talked with him about books till a passion for reading became the chief characteristic of his nature4 ,no wonder that he loved such an inspiring woman4 ,the history of most great men emphasizes the fact that the mothers cannot be too highly educated4 ,at ten years of age he was placed in a high school1 called a ,gymnase1 where for four years he studied ,latin1 ,greek1 history1 geography1 and mathematics1 and was constantly at the head of his classes4 ,naturally enthusiastic1 he played as heartily as he studied4 ,as is often the case1 a book turned the course of his life1 and made him famous4 ,at the ,gymnase he found a work of ,gesner1 the ,swiss naturalist1 and this1 with its colored plates1 first turned his attention to natural history4 ,this liking was intensified by finding at the house of a relative the complete works of ,buffon1 the noted naturalist1 who wrote thirty-six volumes in his own brilliant and poetic style1 describing the animal kingdom4 ,the boy became intensely interested in the habits of quadrupeds and birds2 their form1 their color1 and their homes4 ,he copied the illustrations in the work1 and colored them with paint or pieces of silk4 ,he always carried a volume of ,buffon in his pocket to read when he had a moment of leisure4 ,at twelve1 he was a well-read naturalist4 ,in his last year in the ,gymnase1 when he was fourteen1 he chose a certain number of his school-fellows1 and formed an ,academy4 ,every ,thursday he gathered the lads into his room1 and placing them around a table1 seated himself upon his bed1 and after some book had been read on natural history1 philosophy1 history1 or travels1 he asked their opinions of it1 and then1 being president1 summed up the argument in a clear and concise manner4 ,the mother's seed-sowing in the mind of her ardent boy was bearing fruit4 ,as the family were poor1 and had only a soldier's pension to support them1 it was decided that ,georges should enter the free school at ,tuebingen1 and prepare for the church4 ,but the principal of the ,gymnase1 who had never forgiven the boy for some playful trick1 placed his composition in the third rank4 ,georges knew that it deserved the first rank1 and that this low standard would affect his position in college4 ,he1 therefore1 resolved not to enter ,tuebingen1 and1 though he was thereby lost to the church1 he was saved for great scientific work4 ,a fortunate thing now happened4 ,a woman1 a princess1 who knew about the bright boy1 spoke of him to her brother1 ,duke ,charles of ,wuertemberg4 ,when the duke visited ,montbeliard1 he sent for the lad1 questioned him as to what he had learned1 asked to see his drawings1 and ended by sending him free of expense to the ,university of ,stuttgart1 to enter his own ,academy1 called the ,academy ,caroline4 ,it seemed a little thing for a lady to speak of a boy's studiousness and great love of books1 but it proved a great thing for ,georges ,cuvier and for the scientific world4 ,thousands of women and men could do more of these little acts of kindness1 if they only thought of it4 ,well said ,thomas ,hood3-- ,evil is wrought by want of thought1 ,as well as want of heart4 ,the boy of fourteen said good-by to his devoted mother1 and started for ,stuttgart1 seated between the ,chamberlain and the ,secretary of the ,grand ,duke4 ,both spoke ,german all the way1 and the lonesome boy did not understand a word4 ,he entered the ,academy ,may #d1 #aghd1 and for four years studied mathematics1 law1 philosophy1 finance1 and the like4 ,but he lost no opportunity to study natural history4 ,a professor gave him the works of ,linnaeus1 and he gained inspiration from the young man who could travel four thousand miles through the marshes of ,lapland1 nearly barefoot and half-starved1 in his study of plants4 ,georges now collected a herbarium4 ,when he had leisure1 he drew and colored insects1 birds1 and flowers with great accuracy4 ,he kept a number of living insects in his room1 constantly feeding them1 and watching their habits4 ,he said years afterward1 ,if ,i had not studied insects from choice1 when ,i was at college1 ,i should have done so later1 from a conviction of its necessity4 ,he declared that the wonders he met with in the organization of insects always elevated his thoughts4 ,nine months after his arrival in ,germany1 he won the prize at the ,academy for excellence in the ,german language1 receiving the order of ,chevalerie1 an honor given only to five or six out of four hundred pupils4 ,this entitled the recipients to dine at a separate table1 and to enjoy many advantages under the immediate patronage of the ,grand ,duke4 ,when the four years of college life were over1 the father's pension having ceased on account of the disturbed financial condition of ,france1 the youth of eighteen needed to find employment at once4 ,nothing seemed open to him but the position of tutor in a private family1 a thing much deprecated by his school-fellows1 who had already built many air-castles for his future4 ,but young ,cuvier had the courage and the wisdom to do what necessity required1 and to do it cheerfully4 ,in ,july1 #aghh1 he entered the family of ,count d',hericy in ,caen1 ,normandy1 and for six years taught his only son4 ,he took with him1 says a friend1 these admirable foundations for glory3 a love of labor1 depth of reflection1 perseverance1 and uprightness of character4 ,while teaching here1 he met the nobility of the surrounding country1 increasing thereby his polish of manner and tact1 for which he was celebrated all his life4 ,living by the sea1 he was led to study marine animals4 ,the casual dissection of a calamar1 a species of cuttle-fish1 influenced him to study the anatomy of mollusca1 which afterward led to his great classification of the whole animal kingdom4 ,in this obscure corner of ,normandy1 the young teacher observed1 and committed his observations to paper4 ,some young men would not have found time for such work4 ,those only succeed who have sufficient force of character to make time for what they wish to do4 ,to allow one's time to be wasted1 is to allow one's opportunities for eminence to go by forever4 ,nearly every evening ,cuvier attended a small society of which he was secretary1 which gathered chiefly to discuss agricultural and kindred topics4 ,m4 ,tessier1 living there in exile under an assumed name1 the author of several valuable articles in the ,encyclopedia1 was often present1 and between him and the young secretary a warm friendship soon existed4 ,as the friendship of the ,marquis ,guidubaldo proved valuable to ,galileo1 so that of ,m4 ,tessier proved of great benefit to ,cuvier4 ,he led the young and comparatively unknown naturalist1 though some of his articles had been published in learned journals1 to correspond with ,geoffroy ,st4 ,hilaire1 ,de ,lacepede1 and others on scientific subjects4 ,through their influence he was finally called to ,paris1 made a member of the ,commission of ,arts1 and professor at the ,central ,school of the ,pantheon4 ,he was only twenty-six1 and this was but the beginning of honors4 ,here he composed his ,elementary ,treatise on the ,natural ,history of ,animals4 ,his great desire was to be attached to the ,museum of ,natural ,history1 where he could study the collections and enlarge them4 ,very soon after his arrival in ,paris1 ,m4 ,mertrud was appointed to the newly created chair of ,comparative ,anatomy at the ,jardin des ,plantes4 ,he was advanced in years4 ,and now came the opportunity for friendship to do its work4 ,geoffroy ,st4 ,hilaire and ,de ,lacepede were his colleagues4 ,they urged that their friend ,cuvier be appointed assistant1 and ,mertrud gladly consented4 ,this was indeed an honor1 since ,daubenton1 ,buffon1 ,lamarck1 and other ,european celebrities had filled this position4 ,cuvier at once sent for his aged father1 now nearly eighty years old1 and his only brother1 ,frederic1 to make their home with him4 ,the precious mother had died two years previously4 ,she did not live to see the fame of her eldest son1 but she must have been convinced of his future greatness1 and been comforted by the prospect4 ,from the moment of entering upon his new work1 ,cuvier began to develop that wonderful collection in comparative anatomy which is now so celebrated4 ,nothing ever turned him from his purpose of making this the most extensive collection in the world2 no sorrow1 no legislative duties1 no absence4 ,no one who has visited ,paris will ever forget the seventy-five acres in the ,jardin des ,plantes1 with trees and flowers from all the world2 with thirteen rooms filled with skeletons and anatomical preparations of all kinds2 with eleven rooms in the gallery of anthropology containing every variety of the human species1 in casts1 mummies1 and fossils2 with the gallery of zooelogy containing over two thousand mammalia1 belonging to five hundred species1 as many reptiles1 ten thousand birds1 and over twenty-five hundred fishes2 with immense geological1 mineralogical1 and botanical collections2 all a marvel of industry and learning4 ,cuvier now worked unceasingly4 ,sometimes his salary was in arrears1 but he bore it cheerfully1 as he wrote a friend3 ,you are not to suppose that ,paris is so highly favored2 for twelve months' pay are now due at the ,jardin des ,plantes1 and all the national establishments for public instruction1 in ,paris as well as at ,strasburg2 and if we envy the elephants1 it is not because they are better paid than we are1 but because while living on credit1 as we do1 they are not aware of it1 and consequently are insensible to the pain it gives4 ,you know the saying about the ,french1 that when they have no money they sing4 ,we savants1 who are not musicians1 work at our sciences instead of singing1 which comes to the same thing4 ,he is a hero1 indeed1 who can breast poverty1 and work and sing in the midst of hardship4 ,when he published his ,annals of the ,museum1 he not only drew1 but often engraved the plates himself1 when he was unable1 for lack of means1 to hire it done4 ,the ,national ,institution was founded in #agif1 and ,cuvier was associated with his friends ,de ,lacepede and ,daubenton1 in the section of zooelogy1 holding the position of ,secretary of ,natural ,sciences till his death4 ,four years later1 in #ahjj1 the first two volumes of his ,lessons in ,comparative ,anatomy were published1 and met with great success4 ,the last three volumes were issued five years later4 ,in this year1 #ahjj1 ,cuvier received another honor1 that of the professorship of ,natural ,philosophy in the ,college de ,france4 ,he was now but thirty-one4 ,the following year1 ,napoleon ,i41 who was usually wise in his selection of men1 appointed him one of the six inspectors-general of education1 to establish public schools in thirty towns of ,france4 ,every moment now seemed occupied1 and yet while the brain was busy perchance the heart was lonely4 ,the father had died two years after the mother4 ,the wife of his brother ,frederic had died1 also1 and the two brothers were left alone4 ,at thirty-four1 ,cuvier decided to take into his heart and home the widow of ,m4 ,duvaucel1 ,fermier-,general1 who had perished on the scaffold in #agid4 ,the family had lost all their money in the ,french ,revolution1 and ,madame ,duvaucel had four large children to be supported2 but ,cuvier loved her for her rare mind and sweet disposition1 and she blessed the remaining years of his life4 ,an educated man needs companionship in mind2 not simply a housekeeper4 ,six years later one of her sons was assassinated in ,portugal1 during the retreat of the ,french army4 ,another1 while collecting for the ,museum of ,paris1 died in ,madras1 a young man of great talent and much beloved4 ,a daughter1 ,mlle4 ,duvaucel1 lived to be the comfort of ,cuvier's declining years4 ,happy in his home and absorbed with his work1 ,cuvier went forward to new labors and new honors4 ,m4 ,mertrud had died1 and1 instead of being assistant at the ,jardin des ,plantes1 ,cuvier was now professor4 ,in #ahjh ,napoleon made him counsellor for life of the ,imperial ,university4 ,the next year he organized new academies in the ,italian ,states1 which were now annexed to ,france4 ,in #ahaa he was sent on a similar mission to ,holland and the ,hanseatic towns1 and was made a chevalier1 which rank was assured to his heirs4 ,though he disliked to be absent from his family1 he went where duty called him1 and wrote back fond letters to his wife4 ,,my ,,tender ,,friend1--,the weather1 the road1 the horses1 and the postilions have proved so excellent that we have reached ,porte ,sainte ,mayence before six o'clock2 and ,i have bitterly regretted the two or three good hours that ,i might still have passed with thee1 without in the least delaying my journey4 ,at least believe that ,i have passed them in my imagination1 and that the remembrance of thy caresses and tender friendship will form the happiness of my whole way4 ,after some words to the children1 he added1 ,we are quite well1 my good friend2 we have crossed an agreeable country2 and we are in a tolerable inn4 ,our carriage appears to be quite able to bear the journey2 thus1 up to this moment1 all goes well4 ,pray to ,god that this may last2 thou art so good that he cannot refuse thee4 ,adieu4 ,a thousand tender kisses4 ,g4 ,c4 ,this year1 #ahaa1 appeared one of his most important works--that on ,fossil ,remains1 which wrought a revolution in the study of geology4 ,by comparing living and fossil animals1 ,cuvier showed that huger creatures had lived on the earth and become extinct before the creation of man4 ,in the first epoch he found great reptiles1 like the ,ichthyosaurus1 thirty feet long1 and the ,megalosaurus1 seventy feet long4 ,in the second epoch1 he found the ,paleotherium2 in the third1 the ,mammoth1 ,mastodon1 and gigantic sloth2 and in the fourth epoch1 man4 ,so closely had he studied the relations of the organs of animals1 that he could reconstruct the extinct fossil from a single bone4 ,he had already prepared1 at the request of ,napoleon1 a brilliant ,report on the ,progress of ,natural ,sciences from the year #aghi4 ,in #ahac1 though a ,protestant1 he was sent to ,rome to organize a university1 and was made ,master of ,requests in the ,council of ,state4 ,napoleon also appointed him ,commissaire ,imperial ,extraordinaire1 and sent him to endeavor to raise the people on the left bank of the ,rhine in favor of ,france1 against the invading troops then marching upon them4 ,but ,cuvier was stopped at ,nancy by the entrance of the allied armies1 and obliged to return4 ,he was now famous1 and his company and counsel were sought by the learned and the great4 ,and he was still a comparatively young man1 forty-four4 ,but life had great sorrows in the midst of this prosperity4 ,his first child1 a son1 had died a few weeks after his birth4 ,his daughter ,annie had died in #ahab1 at the age of four1 and now in #ahac1 while he was absent in ,rome1 his only son1 ,georges1 a boy of seven1 had been taken from him4 ,the blow was a terrible one4 ,for many years he never saw a boy near that age1 without being deeply affected4 ,he would stop on the streets to watch a group of boys playing1 and then go on sadly1 thinking of the one he had buried4 ,in #ahad1 ,cuvier was raised to the rank of ,counsellor of ,state1 and ,chancellor of the ,university4 ,when ,napoleon was asked why he had appointed a savant to a political position1 he replied1 that he may be able to rest himself sometimes1 knowing that to a man like ,cuvier change was the most helpful rest4 ,when ,napoleon abdicated his throne1 and ,louis ,,xviii4 came to power1 ,cuvier was retained in office1 for his rare administrative ability1 and upright life4 ,three years later1 the first edition of his ,animal ,kingdom appeared1 and is now to be seen in the ,british ,museum1 in seventeen volumes4 ,this work has served as the basis for subsequent zooelogical classification4 ,cuvier studied minutely the interior structure of animals1 and based his classification on this1 instead of exterior resemblance4 ,after this great work was published1 ,cuvier went with his family to ,london1 for a rest of six weeks4 ,here he received distinguished attention from ,sir ,william ,herschel1 and other learned men4 ,in #ahai1 he was appointed ,president of the ,committee of the ,interior1 and in this position1 which he held for life1 it is believed ten thousand various matters passed through his hands each year1 for his examination and decision4 ,he officiated at the crowning of ,charles ,x41 as one of the presidents of the ,council of ,state1 and received from that monarch the decoration of ,grand ,officer of the ,legion of ,honor4 ,his former sovereign1 the ,king of ,wuertemberg1 appointed him ,commander of the ,order of the ,crown4 ,all this time in which he was doing earnest and responsible work for his country1 he was writing and lecturing almost constantly4 ,so careful was he of his time1 that he always read or wrote as he was riding in his carriage through the streets of ,paris4 ,a lamp in the back of his carriage he used at night1 till he found that he was injuring his eyes4 ,even while he was sitting for a portrait1 to be used as a frontispiece for his book1 ,discourse on the ,revolutions of the ,globe1 his wife's daughter read to him the ,fortunes of ,nigel4 ,in the evenings1 when he was too tired for scientific research1 his wife or daughter read to him general literature4 ,every ,saturday evening a reception was held at the home of ,baron ,cuvier1 and there one was sure to meet the most brilliant and learned from all parts of ,europe1 whether rich or poor4444 ,cuvier delighted everybody by his courtesy and his cordiality4 ,another person also was the life of these gatherings1--his beautiful daughter ,clementine1 his only remaining child4 ,never strong in body1 she had been reared with the tenderest care4 ,devoted to all good work1 reading to aged women1 visiting the poor1 educated1 and of extreme loveliness of character1 she was the idol of her family and of society4 ,on the #beth of ,august1 #ahbh1 she was to have been married1 but1 while in the midst of the preparations1 she fell ill of consumption1 and died the following month1 ,september #bh4 ,the effect on both parents was crushing4 ,cuvier's light hair grew white1 and lines gathered in his face4 ,after two months he took his place again at the head of the ,committee of the ,interior4 ,he listened attentively to all the discussions1 but when it came his turn to speak1 he burst into tears1 and covered his bowed face in his hands1 and sobbed bitterly4 ,finally he raised his head and said1 ,pardon me1 gentlemen1 ,i was a father1 and ,i have lost all6 and then with a violent effort he resumed the business of the day1 with his usual calmness4 ,he devoted himself now more than ever to his books1 as though he must use every moment1 or be prostrated with grief4 ,this same year1 #ahbh1 the first book in a series of twenty volumes1 beautifully illustrated1 appeared1 on the ,natural ,history of ,fishes1 containing more than five thousand species of those animals1 described after nature1 and distributed according to their affinities1 with observations on their anatomy1 and critical researches on their nomenclature1 ancient as well as modern4 ,in #ahcb1 he was created a ,peer of ,france1 by ,louis ,philippe4 ,every honor had come that could be asked or desired4 ,his books were eagerly read2 crowds attended his lectures2 he was loved1 honored1 and revered2 but death had robbed him of the sweetest things in life4 ,on ,tuesday1 ,may #h1 #ahcb1 he lectured as usual before the ,college de ,france1 on the ,history and ,progress of ,science in all ,ages4 ,in the evening he felt a numbness in his right arm4 ,it was the beginning of the end4 ,paralysis soon developed4 ,he said to ,m4 ,pasquier1 ,president of the ,chamber of ,peers1 ,behold a very different person to the man of ,tuesday--of ,saturday4 ,nevertheless1 ,i had great things still to do4 ,all was ready in my head2 after thirty years of labor and research1 there remained but to write2 and now the hands fail1 and carry with them the head4 ,m4 ,pasquier tenderly expressed the universal interest felt for ,m4 ,cuvier4 ,i like to think so1 said the dying man2 ,i have long labored to render myself worthy of it4 ,he is to be pitied1 indeed1 who does not care whether the world loves him4 ,on ,may #ac1 the nomination of ,cuvier to the presidency of the whole ,council of ,state was taken to the sovereign for his signature1 but it came too late4 ,cuvier died that day4 ,four hours before his death he had asked to be taken into the room where he had met and talked with so many of the renowned of earth1 and where his ,clementine had charmed them by her presence4 ,and there he died4 ,he was buried in ,pere la ,chaise1 by his own request1 under the tombstone which covered ,clementine1 and whose death had virtually caused his own4 ,his coffin was borne by the pupils of the different colleges in which he had taught1 thousands following it to the cemetery4 ,his library of nineteen thousand volumes was purchased by the government for the ,jardin des ,plantes4 ,there was no child left to bear his titles4 ,not only do the books of such a man live2 his whole life1 with its untiring energy1 its promptness1 its order1 its unfaltering purpose1 its high aims1 as well as its tenderness and nobility of heart1 is a constant inspiration4 ,,sir ,,william ,,and ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,illustration3 ,,sir ,,william ,,herschel4 ,in ,hanover1 ,germany1 in the year #agcb1 ,isaac ,herschel and a plain1 industrious girl1 ,anna ,ilse ,moritzen1 began their home life together4 ,the young man did not like the calling of his father1 the cultivating of the royal gardens1 and learned to play the oboe in the royal band4 ,he became skilled in music1 and1 as1 one after another1 ten children were born into the little home1 he taught them to play on the violin and oboe1 and such other branches of knowledge as he possessed4 ,after a time his health became impaired with exposure in the ,seven ,years' ,war1 and then he earned his living by lessons in music1 given to scholars at his home4 ,the children attended the garrison school in ,hanover1 and learned the ordinary rudiments1 besides ,french and ,german4 ,though the father sometimes copied music half the night to eke out his scanty living1 he spared no pains to teach them all he could of his favorite art4 ,the fourth son1 ,william1 born ,november #ae1 #agch1 not only learned ,french and ,english rapidly1 but studied ,latin and arithmetic with the teacher1 after hours4 ,he became passionately fond of books1 reading their own little store with avidity4 ,the mother1 who could not even write1 viewed with alarm this intellectual development1 feeling that her children1 if they became learned1 would go away from home--possibly from ,germany4 ,poor1 ignorant heart6 ,she cooked and sewed1 and prevented her daughters from learning ,french or drawing2 but her weak hand could not stay the power of a mind like ,william's1 bent on acquiring knowledge4 ,caroline1 the eighth child1 born in #agej1 twelve years younger than ,william1 looked upon this brother as a marvel2 and shy1 plain1 and silent herself1 watched the boy with pride1 who1 perchance1 would be somebody by and by4 ,alexander1 a little older than ,caroline1 was skilled on the violoncello1 and both the boys became members of the ,hanover foot guards4 ,years later1 ,caroline gave this picture of that early life3 ,my brothers were often introduced as solo performers and assistants in the orchestra of the court1 and ,i remember that ,i was frequently prevented from going to sleep by the lively criticism on music1 on coming from a concert2 or by conversations on philosophical subjects1 which lasted frequently till morning1 in which my father was a lively partaker and assistant of my brother ,william1 by contriving self-made instruments4444 ,often ,i would keep myself awake that ,i might listen to their animating remarks1 for it made me so happy to see them so happy4 ,but generally their conversation would branch out on philosophical subjects1 when my brother ,william and my father often argued with such warmth that my mother's interference became necessary2 when the names ,leibnitz1 ,newton1 and ,euler sounded rather too loud for the repose of her little ones1 who ought to be in school by seven in the morning4 ,but it seems that on the brothers retiring to their own room1 where they shared the same bed1 my brother ,william had still a great deal to say2 and frequently it happened that when he stopped for an assent or reply1 he found his hearer was gone to sleep1 and ,i suppose it was not till then that he bethought himself to do the same4 ,the recollection of these happy scenes confirms me in the belief1 that had my brother ,william not then been interrupted in his philosophical pursuits1 we should have had much earlier proofs of his inventive genius4 ,my father was a great admirer of astronomy1 and had some knowledge of that science2 for ,i remember his taking me1 on a clear frosty night1 into the street1 to make me acquainted with several of the most beautiful constellations1 after we had been gazing at a comet which was then visible4 ,and ,i well remember with what delight he used to assist my brother ,william in his various contrivances in the pursuit of his philosophical studies1 among which was a neatly turned four-inch globe1 upon which the equator and ecliptic were engraved by my brother4 ,when ,william was seventeen1 the guards went to ,england for a year1 and on their return home he brought one precious memento of the country1 ,locke ,on the ,human ,understanding4 ,such a boy would not remain in the foot guards forever4 ,he was delicate in health1 so that his parents removed him from the army4 ,at nineteen1 he determined to try his fortune in ,england4 ,he said good-by to the culture-loving and warm-hearted father1 to the poor mother who knew no other wants than good linen and clothing1 and started out to make his way in the world4 ,for three years nothing is known of him1 save that he passed through many hardships4 ,he played in military bands whenever and wherever he could find a situation1 or at concerts1 and led probably a cramped and obscure life4 ,there was little prospect then that he would become1 as ,prof4 ,edward ,s4 ,holden says in his admirable life1 the greatest of practical astronomers1 and one of the world's most profound philosophers4 ,what the poor ,german youth thought and felt in those years of trial1 we do not know4 ,he had one resource in his loneliness1 the reading of useful books4 ,after about three years1 a fortuitous circumstance occurred4 ,it proved fortuitous only because young ,herschel had studied music faithfully1 and had made himself ready to fill a fine position1 if1 poor and without influence1 such a position could be obtained4 ,as ,dr4 ,miller1 a noted organist1 was dining at ,pontefract with the officers of the ,durham militia1 one of them1 knowing his love of music1 told him they had a young ,german in their band1 as a performer on the oboe1 who was also an excellent performer on the violin4 ,the officer added that if ,miller would come into another room1 this ,german should entertain him with a solo4 ,the invitation was gladly accepted1 and ,miller heard a solo of ,giardini's executed in a manner that surprised him4 ,he afterwards took an opportunity of having some private conversation with the young musician1 and asked him whether he had engaged himself for any long period to the ,durham militia4 ,the answer was1 ',only from month to month4' ',leave them1 then1' said the organist1 'and come and live with me4 ,i am a single man1 and think we shall be happy together2 and doubtless your merit will soon entitle you to a more eligible situation4' ,the offer was accepted as frankly as it was made1 and the reader may imagine with what satisfaction ,dr4 ,miller must have remembered this act of generous feeling1 when he heard that this young ,german was ,herschel1 the astronomer4 ',my humble mansion1' says ,miller1 'consisted at that time but of two rooms4 ,however1 poor as ,i was1 my cottage contained a library of well chosen books4' ,he took an early opportunity of introducing his new friend at ,mr4 ,cropley's concerts4 ,the first violin was resigned to him1 'and never1' says the organist1 'had ,i heard the concertos of ,corelli1 ,geminiani1 and ,avison1 or the overtures of ,handel1 performed more chastely1 or more according to the original intention of the composers1 than by ,mr4 ,herschel4' ',i soon lost my companion2 his fame was presently spread abroad2 he had the offer of pupils1 and was solicited to lead the public concerts both at ,wakefield and ,halifax4 ,a new organ for the parish church of ,halifax was built about this time1 and ,herschel was one of the seven candidates for the organist's place4 ,they drew lots how they were to perform in succession4 ,herschel drew the third2 the second fell to ,dr4 ,wainwright1 of ,manchester1 whose finger was so rapid that old ,snetzler1 the organ-builder1 ran about the church exclaiming1 ,he run over te keys like one cat2 he will not give my piphes room for to shpeak4 ',during ,mr4 ,wainwright's performance1' says ,miller1 ',i was standing in the middle aisle with ,herschel4 ,what chance have you1 said ,i1 to follow this man8 ,he replied1 ,i don't know1 ,i am sure fingers will not do4 ,on which he ascended the organ loft1 and produced from the organ so uncommon a fulness1 such a volume of slow1 solemn harmony1 that ,i could by no means account for the effect4 ,after this short extempore effusion1 he finished with the ,old ,hundredth psalm-tune1 which he played better than his opponent4 ',ay1 ay1 cried old ,snetzler1 tish is very goot1 very goot inteet4 ,i will hef tish man1 for he gives my piphes room for to shpeak4 ,having afterwards asked ,mr4 ,herschel by what means1 in the beginning of his performance1 he produced so uncommon an effect1 he replied1 ,i told you fingers would not do6 and1 producing two pieces of lead from his waistcoat pocket1 ,one of these1 said he1 ,i placed on the lowest key of the organ1 and the other upon the octave above2 thus1 by accommodating the harmony1 ,i produced the effect of four hands1 instead of two4' ,herschel was the successful candidate among the seven4 ,he was now twenty-seven years old4 ,only once do we learn of his going home to ,germany1 and that in the year previous4 ,of this visit1 ,caroline1 now grown to fourteen1 says1 ,of the joys and pleasures which all felt at this long-wished-for meeting with my1 let me say my dearest brother1 but a small portion could fall to my share2 for with my constant attendance at church and school1 besides the time ,i was employed in doing the drudgery of the scullery1 it was but seldom ,i could make one in the group when the family were assembled together4 ,in the first week1 some of the orchestra were invited to a concert1 at which some of my brother ,william's compositions--overtures1 etc4--and some of my eldest brother1 ,jacob's1 were performed1 to the great delight of my dear father1 who hoped and expected that they would be turned to some profit by publishing them1 but there was no printer who bid high enough4 ,after a year at ,halifax1 ,herschel obtained a position as organist at the ,octagon ,chapel in ,bath1 a fashionable city of ,england4 ,this was another and higher step on the road to fame4 ,he now gave nearly forty lessons a week to pupils4 ,he composed music1 and wrote anthems1 chants1 and psalm-tunes for the cathedral choir where he played4 ,he became so popular from his real ability1 coupled with pleasing manners1 that he was occupied in teaching from fourteen to sixteen hours daily4 ,but he did more than this4 ,as his hopes brightened1 he determined to devote every minute to the pursuit of knowledge1 in which he found his greatest happiness4 ,he studied ,greek and ,italian4 ,he would unbend his mind1 after he retired1 with ,maclaurin's ,fluxions1 or ,robert ,smith's ,complete ,system of ,optics1 and ,lalande's ,astronomy4 ,what if he had devoted this time to ease or amusement6 ,would he have become learned or distinguished8 ,every young man and woman is obliged to decide the matter for himself and herself4 ,we cannot idle away life and be great4 ,illustration3 ,,caroline ,,herschel4 ,in #agfg1 the fond father1 ,isaac1 died of paralysis4 ,caroline1 who loved him tenderly1 was desolate4 ,he had taught her the violin when the prosaic mother was either in good humor1 or out of the way4 ,it is quite possible that music1 like inventions1 did not bring an adequate support for ten children1 and that the practical mother wished her daughter to learn something whereby she could earn a living4 ,she thereupon sent her two or three months to a seamstress to be taught to make household linen4 ,after a time a delightful proposition came from the organist at ,bath4 ,he would take her to ,england1 and see if she could not become a useful singer for his winter concerts and oratorios4 ,if she did not succeed1 after two years1 he would carry her back to ,germany4 ,in #aggb1 ,william came to ,hanover and took his sister to ,bath1 at #g ,new ,kings ,street4 ,she was now twenty-two2 an untutored girl1 with a bright1 eager mind1 and a heart that went out to her brother in the most rapt devotion4 ,history does not show a more complete1 single-hearted1 subservient affection1 nor a sadder picture of a woman's sorrow in later years1 in consequence of it4 ,at once ,caroline began her work of voice culture1 lessons in arithmetic1 ,english1 and in keeping accounts1 from her brother1 and in managing the house4 ,alexander1 now in ,england1 boarded with ,william1 and he and ,caroline occupied the attic4 ,the first three winter months were lonely1 as she saw little of ,william4 ,the time1 she says1 when ,i could hope to receive a little more of my brother's instruction and attention was now drawing near2 for after ,easter1 ,bath becomes very empty1 only a few of his scholars1 whose families were residents in the neighborhood1 remaining4 ,but ,i was greatly disappointed1 for1 in consequence of the harassing and fatiguing life he had led during the winter months1 he used to retire to bed with a basin of milk or glass of water1 and ,smith's ,harmonics and ,optics1 ,ferguson's ,astronomy1 etc41 and so went to sleep buried under his favorite authors2 and his first thoughts on rising were how to obtain the instruments for viewing those objects himself of which he had been reading4 ,there being in one of the shops a two-and-a-half-foot ,gregorian telescope to be let1 it was for some time taken in requisition1 and served not only for viewing the heavens1 but for making experiments on its construction4444 ,it soon appeared that my brother was not contented with knowing what former observers had seen1 for he began to contrive a telescope eighteen or twenty feet long4444 ,i was much hindered in my musical practice by my help being continually wanted in the execution of the various contrivances1 and ,i had to amuse myself with making the tube of pasteboard for the glasses1 which were to arrive from ,london1 for at that time no optician had settled at ,bath4 ,but when all was finished1 no one besides my brother could get a glimpse of ,jupiter or ,saturn1 for the great length of the tube would not allow it to be kept in a straight line4 ,this difficulty1 however1 was soon removed by substituting tin tubes4 ,herschel had attempted to buy a telescope1 but found the price far beyond his means4 ,but he was not discouraged4 ,caroline soon saw almost every room turned into a work-shop4 ,a cabinet-maker making a tube and stands of all descriptions in a handsomely furnished drawing-room2 this could be so occupied when the music scholars had left ,bath in their vacation2 ,alex putting up a huge turning machine in a bedroom1 for turning patterns1 grinding glasses1 and turning eye-pieces1 etc4 ,the longed-for time to see more of her brother never came to ,caroline1 except as she finally grew into his life-work1 and became his second self4 ,he had one unalterable purpose1 the study of the construction of the heavens4 ,nothing ever drew him from it4 ,nothing ever could draw him4 ,and herein lay one of the elements of his great power4 ,as an ,english writer has well said3 ,so gentle and patient a follower of science under difficulties scarcely occurs in the whole circle of biography4 ,yes1 he was gentle and patient1 but with an untiring and never ending perseverance4 ,too poor to buy telescopes1 he made them4 ,with no time to read books during the day1 he took the hours from sleep4 ,with little opportunity for education1 he educated himself4 ,in #aggd1 the music teacher made for himself a five-and-one-half-foot ,gregorian telescope2 and a year later1 a ,newtonian1 with a four-and-a-half-inch aperture1 which magnified two hundred and twenty-two times4 ,the making of these instruments showed great mechanical skill and accurate knowledge4 ,he began now to study the heavens in earnest1 but the teaching must go on to provide daily bread4 ,he directed an orchestra of nearly one hundred pieces1 and ,caroline copied the scores and vocal parts4 ,so absorbed was he in his astronomical work1 however1 that at the theatre1 between the acts1 he would run from the harpsichord to look at the stars4 ,this boyish eagerness and naturalness he kept through life4 ,he soon made a seven-foot reflector1 then a ten-foot reflector4 ,the mirrors for these telescopes were all made by hand1 machines for the purpose not being invented till ten or more years later4 ,alexander1 with his mechanical skill1 assisted1 and ,caroline was always busy at the work4 ,she says1 ,my time was taken up with copying music and practising1 besides attendance on my brother when polishing2 since1 by way of keeping him alive1 ,i was constantly obliged to feed him1 by putting his victuals by bits into his mouth4 ,this was once the case1 when1 in order to finish a seven-foot mirror1 he had not taken his hands from it for sixteen hours together4 ,in general he was never unemployed at meals1 but was always at those times contriving or making drawings of whatever came in his mind4 ,generally ,i was obliged to read to him while he was at the turning-lathe1 or polishing mirrors1 ',don ,quixote1' ',arabian ,nights' ,entertainment1' the novels of ,sterne1 ,fielding1 etc42 serving tea and supper without interrupting the work with which he was engaged4444 ,so busy that he could not find time to eat or sleep6 ,rare devotion of a rare mind6 ,he now began to study every star of the first1 second1 third1 and fourth magnitudes in the sky4 ,he carefully observed the moon1 and measured the height of about one hundred of her mountains4 ,her extinct volcanoes1 and her unpeopled solitudes1 without clouds or air1 were an impressive study4 ,he was now forty years old1--not young to begin the study of a new and illimitable science1 but not too old1 for one is never too old to begin a great or a noble work4 ,through ,dr4 ,william ,watson1 ,fellow of the ,royal ,society1 who happened--if anything ever happens in this world--to see ,herschel at his telescope1 he became a member of the ,philosophical ,society of ,bath1 and soon in #aghj sent two papers to the ,royal ,society1 the one on the periodical star in ,collo ,ceti1 and the other on the mountains of the moon1 which were read by ,dr4 ,william ,watson1 ,jr4 ,when he was forty-three1 he says1 ,i began to construct a thirty-foot aerial reflector1 and1 having made a stand for it1 ,i cast the mirror thirty-six inches in diameter4 ,this was cracked in cooling4 ,i cast it a second time1 and the furnace ,i had built in my house broke4 ,but he persevered4 ,this same year1 #agha1 after he had lived in ,bath nine years1 on the night of ,tuesday1 ,march #ac1 having removed to a larger house1 #ai ,new ,king ,street1 he says1 ,in examining the small stars in the neighborhood of ,h4 ,geminorum ,i perceived one that appeared visibly larger than the rest2 being struck with its uncommon appearance1 ,i compared it to ,h4 ,geminorum and the small star in the quarter between ,auriga and ,gemini1 and1 finding it so much larger than either of them1 ,i suspected it to be a comet4 ,the orbit of this comet was computed and its distance from the sun found to be eighteen hundred million miles6 ,the world soon awoke to the fact that a new planet had been found1 the greatest astronomical discovery since ,galileo invented the telescope1 and the unknown musician at ,bath had become famous6 ,so little was ,herschel known at this time1 that one journal called him ,mersthel1 another ,herthel1 and still another ,hermstel4 ,in ,december of the same year1 #agha1 ,herschel was elected a ,fellow of the ,royal ,society and received the ,copley gold medal4 ,he was no longer the poor ,german youth playing the oboe among the guards2 he was the renowned discoverer4 ,he called the planet ,georgium ,sidus1 in honor of his sovereign1 ,george ,,iii41 but it was decided later to call it ,uranus1 from ,urania the muse of astronomy4 ,herschel went eagerly on with his work4 ,fame did not change his simple nature4 ,the truly great are never ostentatious4 ,he erected in his garden a stand for his twenty-foot telescope1 and perfected his mirrors4 ,though at times1 says ,caroline1 much harassed with business1 the mirror for the thirty-foot reflector was never out of his mind1 and if a minute could but be spared in going from one scholar to another1 or giving one the slip1 he called at home to see how the men went on with the furnace1 which was built in a room below1 even with the garden4 ,the next year1 #aghb1 ,herschel went to ,london1 and met with a gracious reception from ,george ,,iii4 ,he wrote back to his devoted sister3 ,dear ,lina3 ,all my papers are printing1 with the postscript and all1 and are allowed to be very valuable4 ,you see1 ,lina1 ,i tell you all these things4 ,you know vanity is not my foible1 therefore ,i need not fear your censure4 ,farewell4 ,i am your affectionate brother1 ,,wm4 ,,herschel4 ,again he wrote1-- ,i pass my time between ,greenwich and ,london1 agreeably enough1 but am rather at a loss for work that ,i like4 ,company is not always pleasing1 and ,i would much rather be polishing a speculum4444 ,i am introduced to the best company4 ,to-morrow ,i dine at ,lord ,palmerston's1 next day with ,sir ,joseph ,banks1 etc41 etc4 ,among opticians and astronomers nothing now is talked of but what they call my great discoveries4 ,alas6 this shows how far they are behind1 when such trifles as ,i have seen and done are called great4 ,let me but get at it again6 ,i will make such telescopes1 and see such things--that is1 ,i will endeavor to do so4 ,and this great ambition nerved him for action1 continued and laborious1 as long as he lived4 ,he was never satisfied2 always achieving4 ,little can be expected from those who are easily satisfied4 ,george ,,iii4 wisely appointed ,herschel ,royal ,astronomer1 though with the too small salary of one thousand dollars yearly4 ,he came back to ,bath only to perform the last musical duty on ,whit ,sunday1 #aghb1 the anthem for the day being his own composition1 and to say good-by to his pupils4 ,he moved to ,datchet in #aghb1 and set up his twenty-foot telescope4 ,in #aghc he had made three reviews of the heavens4 ,in #aghd he made a fourth review with his twenty-foot telescope4 ,caroline says3 ,my brother began his sweeps when the instrument was yet in a very unfinished state1 and my feelings were not very comfortable when every moment ,i was alarmed by a crash or a fall1 knowing him to be elevated fifteen feet or more on a temporary crossbeam1 instead of a safe gallery4 ,the ladders had not even their braces at the bottom2 and one night1 in a very high wind1 he had hardly touched the ground before the whole apparatus came down4444 ,i could give a pretty long list of accidents which were near proving fatal to my brother as well as myself4 ,a gentleman who visited him at ,datchet wrote3 ,the thermometer in the garden stood at #ac deg4 ,fahrenheit2 but in spite of this1 ,herschel observes the whole night through1 except that he stops every three or four hours and goes in the room for a few moments4 ,for some years ,herschel has observed the heavens every hour when the weather is clear1 and this always in the open air1 because he says that the telescope only performs well when it is at the same temperature as the air4 ,he protects himself against the weather by putting on more clothing4 ,he has an excellent constitution1 and thinks about nothing else in the world but the celestial bodies4 ,but1 occupied as ,herschel was about celestial bodies1 he yet found time to think about earthly things1 for we find him at forty-five1 ,may #h1 #aghc1 marrying ,mary1 the wealthy widow of ,john ,pitt1 ,esq41 a lady of much intelligence and amiability4 ,the sad feature of the new relationship was the misery it brought to ,caroline4 ,her whole life had centred in ,william4 ,for eleven years she had devoted every moment1 every wish1 every thought to him4 ,she had watched all night among the stars with him1 month after month1 and year after year1 in cold and in heat1 and superintended his home by day4 ,his every desire was her law4 ,she loved no other1 and he was her all4 ,perhaps she ought to have known that another might come into his life1 but she trusted blindly1 and did not question the future4 ,when the wife came into the home1 ,caroline went out of it forever4 ,for more than twenty years she lived in lodgings1 always cheerless and solitary1 her only happiness found in coming day by day to help her brother in his great work4 ,sometimes1 when the wife was absent1 ,caroline came back for a few days and lived over the old unalloyed life1 and then went back to her lonely lodgings4 ,for ten years following this marriage1 she probably told her heart-aches in her journal2 but before her death she destroyed the record of these years1 that the feelings of those who were alive might not be pained4 ,in later days she became more reconciled to ,lady ,herschel1 as a dear sister1 for as such ,i now know you1 and idolized their only son1 the renowned ,sir ,john ,herschel1 born nine years after their marriage4 ,in #aghe1 ,herschel began to construct his great forty-foot telescope1 and the next year removed to ,slough1 not far from ,windsor4 ,in the whole of the apparatus1 he said1 none but common workmen were employed1 for ,i made drawings of every part of it1 by which it was easy to execute the work1 as ,i constantly inspected and directed every person's labor2 though sometimes there were not less than forty different workmen employed at the same time4 ,while the stand of the telescope was preparing1 ,i also began the construction of the great mirror1 of which ,i inspected the casting1 grinding1 and polishing2 and the work was in this manner carried on with no other interruption than that occasioned by the removal of all the apparatus and materials from where ,i then lived1 to my present situation at ,slough4 ,he had his first view through the telescope ,february #ai1 #aghg4 ,george ,,iii4 gave twenty thousand dollars for the building of this instrument1 and one thousand dollars yearly for its maintenance4 ,a half-century afterwards1 the woodwork having become decayed1 it was taken down1 the great tube laid horizontally1 and1 after ,sir ,john ,herschel and his family had passed through it1 a poem written by ,sir ,john having been read1 it was sealed ,january #a1 #ahdj1 and placed on piers4 ,with this great telescope1 ,herschel discovered two satellites of ,saturn1 ,mimas and ,enceladus2 one on ,august #bg1 #aghi1 and the other on ,september #ag of the same year4 ,two years before this1 ,january #aa1 #aghg1 he discovered two satellites of ,uranus1 ,oberon and ,titania4 ,sixty years afterwards1 ,mr4 ,lassell1 of ,england1 discovered the remaining two satellites of ,uranus1 called ,ariel and ,umbriel4 ,from this time his work went forward grandly4 ,he had already completed more than two hundred seven-foot1 one hundred and fifty ten-foot1 and eighty twenty-foot mirrors4 ,for many of the telescopes sent abroad he made no stands1 but provided the drawings4 ,he wrote much about ,saturn and its rings1 and showed that its most distant satellite1 ,japetus1 turns once on its axis in each revolution about its primary1 as our moon does about the earth4 ,he studied carefully the nature of the sun1 its probable gaseous surface1 and its spots1 and was the first to suspect their periodic character4 ,what would ,herschel have said to the wonderful photographic representations of these spots given by ,professor ,langley1 in his ,new ,astronomy2 spots which are one billion square miles in size2 more than five times the surface of the land and water on the earth8 ,he saw1 as astronomers to-day see1 that heat cannot be produced without expenditure of force2 and that the sun is probably cooling1 even though scarcely perceptibly for ages to come4 ,he saw what science now generally concedes1 the rise and fall of the solar system2 its gradual fitness for the coming of man1 through almost countless centuries2 and its final unfitness1 when his generations shall have gone forever4 ,he wrote much about the ,milky ,way1 believing at first that it could be completely resolved into stars1 about eighteen millions of them2 but later he changed his theory1 having found so much nebulous matter--in a state of condensation as though new worlds were forming1 possibly to be the homes of some new race1 or of man in the ages to come4 ,his study of the variable stars attracted wide attention4 ,he found that the star ,mira ,ceti was for several months invisible to the naked eye2 then it grew brighter and brighter1 and finally disappeared for months1 as before4 ,he saw that other stars are periodic1 and came to the conclusion that this is occasioned by the rotation of the star upon its axis1 by which different parts of its surface are presented to us periodically4 ,he made a catalogue of double stars1 and found by laborious calculations that such stars have a common centre of gravity2 that one sun revolves about another4 ,he found that our solar system has a motion of its own2 a grand orbit round some as yet unknown centre1 and that other systems have a like motion4 ,what this centre may be1 whether a great sun like ,sirius1 one hundred times larger than ours1 with unknown powers and unknown uses1 is of course only conjecture4 ,herschel gave much attention to nebulae1 discovering and describing twenty-five hundred new nebulae and clusters4 ,he gave his life to the study of the construction of the heavens4 ,concerning his statement of the general construction1 ,professor ,holden1 himself a brilliant astronomer1 says3 ,it is the groundwork upon which we have still to build4444 ,as a scientific conception it is perhaps the grandest that has ever entered into the human mind4 ,as a study of the height to which the efforts of one man may go1 it is almost without a parallel4444 ,as a practical astronomer he remains without an equal4 ,in profound philosophy he has few superiors4 ,by a kindly chance he can be claimed as the citizen of no one country4 ,in very truth his is one of the few names which belong to the whole world4 ,the distinguished man1 though unassuming and gentle in manner1 must have had a realizing sense of the greatness of his work1 for he said1 ,i have looked further into space than ever human being did before me4 ,i have observed stars of which the light takes two millions of years to travel to this globe4 ,he gave much study to light and heat4 ,so boundless was his knowledge believed to be1 that a farmer called one day to ask the proper time for cutting his grass4 ,look at that field1 said the scientist1 and when ,i tell you it is mine1 ,i think you will not need another proof to convince you that ,i am no more weatherwise than yourself or the rest of my neighbors4 ,he worked earnestly till he was seventy-six1 always depending upon his faithful and inseparable ,caroline for aid in his labors4 ,he made a telescope for her1 with which she swept the heavens for comets1 finding eight1 five of which she discovered for the first time4 ,at seventy-six his health began to fail4 ,he had worked incessantly from his struggling boyhood1 but brain work does not wear us out2 care and anxiety bring the marks of age upon us4 ,he now took little journeys away from ,slough for change of scene and air1 while ,caroline stayed at home to copy his papers for the ,royal ,society1 and to arrange his manuscripts4 ,in #ahaf1 he was made a knight of the ,royal ,hanoverian ,guelphic ,order1 by the ,prince ,regent1 and in #ahba was the first president of the ,royal ,astronomical ,society1 his son being its first foreign secretary4 ,in ,february1 #ahah1 ,caroline spent twelve precious days with her brother1 not in idleness1 she says1 but in sorrow and sadness4 ,he is not only unwell1 but low in spirits4 ,later he went to ,bath with ,lady ,herschel4 ,the last moments before he stepped into the carriage1 says the loving ,caroline1 were spent in walking with me through his library and workrooms1 pointing with anxious looks to every shelf and drawer1 desiring me to examine all and to make memorandums of them as well as ,i could4 ,he was hardly able to support himself1 and his spirits were so low1 that ,i found difficulty in commanding my voice so far as to give him the assurance he should find on his return that my time had not been misspent4 ,when ,i was left alone ,i found that ,i had no easy task to perform1 for there were packets of writings to be examined which had not been looked at for the last forty years4 ,but ,i did not pass a single day without working in the library as long as ,i could read a letter without candle-light1 and taking with me papers to copy1 etc41 which employed me for the best part of the night1 and thus ,i was enabled to give my brother a clear account of what had been done at his return4 ,on the #dth of ,july1 #ahai1 ,herschel sent a note to his dear co-worker4 ,lina1--,there is a great comet4 ,i want you to assist me4 ,come to dine and spend the day here4 ,if you can come soon after one o'clock we shall have time to prepare maps and telescopes4 ,i saw its situation last night1--it has a long tail4 ,caroline wrote on this small slip of yellow paper3 ,i keep this as a relic6 ,every line now traced by the hand of my dear brother becomes a treasure to me4 ,every day hereafter she spent the forenoon with ,sir ,william4 ,on the #aeth of ,august she went as usual and found that he was confined to his room4 ,i flew there immediately1 she says4 ,as soon as he saw me1 ,i was sent to the library to fetch one of his last papers and a plate of the forty-foot telescope4 ,but for the universe ,i could not have looked twice at what ,i had snatched from the shelf1 and when he faintly asked if the breaking up of the ,milky ,way was in it1 ,i said ',yes6' and he looked content4 ,i cannot help remembering this circumstance1 it was the last time ,i was sent to the library on such an occasion4 ,that the anxious care for his papers and workroom never ended but with his life was proved by his frequent whispered inquiries if they were locked and the key safe1 of which ,i took care to assure him that they were1 and the key in ,lady ,herschel's hands4 ,after half an hour's vain attempt to support himself1 my brother was obliged to consent to be put to bed1 leaving no hope ever to see him rise again4 ,for ten days and nights we remained in the most heart-rending situation till the #beth of ,august1 when not one comfort was left to me but that of retiring to the chamber of death1 there to ruminate without interruption on my isolated situation4 ,of this last solace ,i was robbed on the #gth of ,september1 when the dear remains were consigned to the grave4 ,faithful and devoted watcher over his dead body1 to the last6 ,when he had been buried in the little church at ,upton1 ,windsor1 at the age of eighty-four1 honored by all ,europe and ,america1 ,caroline could live no longer where remembrance of him made it intolerable4 ,she went back to ,hanover1 a person1 she said1 sadly1 that has nothing more to do in this world1 to live with her brother ,dietrich4 ,she had come to ,england1 a girl of twenty-two2 she went back an elderly woman1 seventy-two4 ,the home in ,germany did not prove a happy one1 but how could it without ,william8 ,she lived simply1 not spending half of the five hundred dollars a year left her by her dead brother4 ,she had already published ,a ,catalogue of eight hundred and sixty ,stars1 observed by ,flamsteed1 but not included in the ,british ,catalogue1 and ,a ,general ,index of ,reference to every ,observation of every star in the above mentioned ,british ,catalogue4 ,she also prepared ,the ,reduction and ,arrangement1 in the form of a ,catalogue in ,zones1 of all the ,star ,clusters and ,nebulae observed by ,sir ,william ,herschel in his ,sweeps1 a work1 said ,sir ,david ,brewster1 of immense labor2 an extraordinary monument of the unextinguished ardor of a lady of seventy-five in the cause of abstract science4 ,for this the ,royal ,astronomical ,society voted her the gold medal1 and gave her the unusual distinction of honorary membership4 ,sixteen years after her return to ,hanover1 ,sir ,john ,herschel1 her nephew1 who had made his wonderful review of the southern heavens1 discovering as many new nebulae as his father1 took his only boy1 ,willie1 to see her4 ,she was now eighty-eight4 ,the visit was overwhelming to her affectionate heart4 ,she watched the child with the most intense delight4 ,fearing the results if she knew the time of their departure for ,england1 ,sir ,john1 with mistaken kindness1 went away at four o'clock in the morning1 without saying good-by4 ,but the anguish of separation was thereby rendered greater4 ,the years went by slowly4 ,on her ninety-sixth birthday the ,king of ,prussia sent her a gold medal1 ,alexander von ,humboldt writing her a letter from ,berlin to accompany it4 ,january #ad1 #ahdh1 at the age of almost ninety-eight1 ,caroline ,herschel died1 and was buried from the same garrison church where nearly a century before she had been christened4 ,in her coffin was placed1 by her desire1 a lock of her brother's hair4 ,beautiful affection6 great co-workers in their immortal study of unnumbered worlds6 ,,alexander ,,von ,,humboldt4 ,illustration3 ,,alexander ,,von ,,humboldt4 ,the great ,agassiz1 in his eloquent address1 in ,boston1 on the hundredth anniversary of the birth of ,humboldt1 said3 ,all the fundamental facts of popular education in physical science1 beyond the merest elementary instruction1 we owe to him4 ,we are reaping daily in every school throughout the broad land1 where education is the heritage of the poorest child1 the intellectual harvest sown by him4 ,there is not a text-book of geography1 or a school atlas in the hands of our children to-day1 which does not bear1 however blurred and defaced1 the impress of his great mind4 ,but for him our geographies would be mere enumerations of localities and statistics4 ,he first suggested the graphic methods of representing natural phenomena which are now universally adopted4 ,the first geological sections1 the first sections across an entire continent1 the first averages of climate illustrated by lines1 were his4 ,every school-boy is familiar with his methods now1 but he does not know that ,humboldt is his teacher4444 ,naturally we ask how such a man rose to fame1 and what incited him to stand among the few intellectual leaders of the world4 ,frederick ,william ,henry ,alexander von ,humboldt was born ,september #ad1 #agfi1 in ,berlin1 the same year as ,baron ,cuvier4 ,unlike ,cuvier1 he came into a home of wealth and culture4 ,his father was a ,prussian officer and chamberlain to the king4 ,his mother1 the widow of ,baron von ,hollwede1 married ,major von ,humboldt when he was forty-six years old1 bringing into the family much landed property4 ,three children were born to them1 a daughter who died in infancy1 and the famous brothers1 ,william and ,alexander1 the former two years older than the latter4 ,the father1 an exceedingly amiable and benevolent man1 died when ,alexander was but ten years old4 ,the mother1 left with her two sons1 was wise enough to select superior tutors for them1 deeming a good education their best preparation for a useful life4 ,much of their time was spent at their summer home at ,tegel1 on the banks of the ,havel1 about eight miles from ,berlin4 ,in #aggh ,goethe went there for a visit1 and the two ,humboldt lads1 nine and eleven years of age1 played and talked with the leading mind of ,germany4 ,the children were not altogether happy there1 as ,alexander wrote a friend years afterward4 ,vine-clad hills which here we call mountains1 extensive plantations of foreign trees1 the meadows surrounding the house1 and lovely views of the lake with its picturesque banks awaiting the beholder at every turn1 render this place undoubtedly one of the most attractive residences in the neighborhood4 ,if1 in addition1 you picture to yourself the high degree of luxury and taste that reigns in our home1 you will indeed be surprised when ,i tell you that ,i never visit this place without a certain feeling of melancholy4444 ,i passed most of that unhappy time 7my youthful days7 here at ,tegel1 among people who loved me1 and showed me kindness1 but with whom ,i had not the least sympathy1 where ,i was subjected to a thousand restraints and much self-imposed solitude1 and where ,i was often placed in circumstances that obliged me to maintain a close reserve1 and to make continual self-sacrifices4 ,now that ,i am my own master1 and living here without restraint1 ,i am unable to yield myself to the charms of which nature is here so prodigal1 because ,i am met at every turn by painful recollections of my childhood1 which even the inanimate objects around me are continually awakening4 ,sad as such recollections are1 however1 they are interesting from the thought that it was just my residence here which exercised so powerful an influence in the formation of my character and the direction of my tastes to the study of nature4 ,much which seems trying and unsatisfactory is1 after all1 our best discipline for life4 ,the strongest and noblest characters are not developed in the perpetual sunshine of happiness4 ,rain and sun are alike necessary for growth4 ,alexander early showed great fondness for natural history1 collecting flowers1 plants1 butterflies1 shells1 and stones1 so that he was called the ,little ,apothecary4 ,he likewise found great delight in drawing4 ,he says of himself3 ,until ,i reached the age of sixteen1 ,i showed little inclination for scientific pursuits4 ,i was of a restless disposition1 and wished to be a soldier4 ,this choice was displeasing to my family1 who were desirous that ,i should devote myself to the study of finance1 so that ,i had no opportunity of attending a course of botany or chemistry2 ,i am self-taught in almost all the sciences with which ,i am now so occupied1 and ,i acquired them comparatively late in life4 ,of the science of botany ,i never so much as heard till ,i formed the acquaintance in #aghh of ,herr ,willdenow1 a youth of my own age1 who had just been publishing a ,flora of ,berlin4 ,his gentle and amiable character stimulated the interest ,i felt in his pursuits4 ,i never received any lessons professedly1 but ,i used to bring him the specimens ,i collected1 and he gave me their classifications4 ,i became passionately devoted to botany1 and took especial interest in the study of cryptogamia4 ,the sight of exotic plants1 even when only as dried specimens in an herbarium1 fired my imagination with the pleasure that would be derived from the view of a tropical vegetation in southern lands4 ,at sixteen1 then1 the boy did not know for what he was best fitted in life4 ,how important for young men and women to study themselves1 and know their own tastes and capacities6 ,at nineteen he had never heard of botany1 and yet he became one of the most distinguished of botanists6 ,the boy also longed to go to sea1 not an unusual desire in restless and ambitious natures4 ,but he was frail in body1 and gave little evidence that he would ever be able to accomplish any of the things for which he longed4 ,at nineteen he was ready for college1 and with his brother entered at ,frankfort-on-the-,oder4 ,he gave his time largely to finance and political economy1 by his mother's desire1 that he might be able to act in some capacity under the government4 ,at college1 as ever after in life1 he found one devoted friend1 who became his inseparable companion4 ,at ,frankfort1 it was ,wegener1 a young theologian1 with a warm heart1 and great zeal for knowledge4 ,nor did this friendship cease when he went to ,goettingen some months later1 for better opportunities in the study of science4 ,he wrote to ,wegener3 ,if ,god only spare us1 nothing can break the bond between two friends who are to each other more than brothers4444 ,my fervent love and sincere friendship for you are as imperishable as the soul which gives them birth4444 ,how happy1 how inexpressibly happy should ,i be1 if ,i had a friend like you by my side6444 ,i doubt not that among eight hundred men there must be some with whom ,i could form a friendship1 but how long is it often before we find each other out6 ,were not you and ,i acquainted for three months before we discovered how completely we were made one for the other8 ,to be without a friend1 what an existence6 ,and where can ,i hope to find a friend whom ,i could place by your side in my affections6 ,these words seem like those of a lover1 or an affectionate woman1 but they come from a mind that now1 as in after years1 towered like a giant oak in the trees of a forest4 ,beautiful union of brain and heart6 ,such only makes an ideal character4 ,humboldt had already met ,willdenow1 and begun to love botany4 ,again he writes to ,wegener3 ,i have just come in from a solitary walk in the ,thiergarten1--he was for a short time in ,berlin1--where ,i have been seeking for mosses1 lichens1 and fungi1 which are just now in perfection4 ,how sad to wander about alone6 ,and yet there is something attractive in this solitude1 when occupied with nature4444 ,i am collecting materials for a work on the various properties of plants1 medicinal properties excepted2 it is a work requiring such great research1 and such a profound knowledge of botany1 as to be far beyond my unassisted powers1 and ,i am therefore endeavoring to enlist the cooeperation of several of my friends4444 ,pray do not imagine that ,i am going to appear as an author forthwith2 ,i do not intend that shall happen for the next ten years1 and by that time ,i trust ,i shall have discovered something startlingly new and important4 ,goettingen was now at the height of its glory4 ,humboldt attended courses of lectures on archaeology1 on trade and commerce1 on light1 heat1 and electricity1 on agriculture1 and on ancient tragic poets1 under ,heyne1 of whom he said1 ,heyne is undoubtedly the man to whom this century is the most deeply indebted2 to him we owe the spread of religious enlightenment1 by means of the education and training he has instituted for young village school-masters2 to him is due the introduction of a more liberal tone of thought1 the establishment of a literary archaeology1 and the first association of the principles of aesthetics with the study of philology4 ,humboldt was also fond of ,greek4 ,he said1 ,the more ,i know of the ,greek language1 the more am ,i confirmed in my preconceived opinion1 that it is the true foundation for all the higher branches of learning4 ,with some friends1 he soon founded the ,philosophical ,society1 which1 with the admirable libraries and museums at hand1 became of great assistance to the students4 ,the next year1 #agij1 he had become so interested in science1 that he wrote ,wegener3 ,i was away from ,goettingen for two months1 spending the vacation in making a scientific tour with a ,herr van ,genns1 a ,dutchman with whom ,i became acquainted through his writings on botanical subjects4444 ,amid the numberless distractions of the journey1 which was made sometimes on foot and sometimes by carriage1 and with the incessant occupation of packing up minerals and plants1 ,i was not very well able to write to you4 ,the result of this tour was a pamphlet1 ,mineralogical ,observations on some ,basalts of the ,rhine4 ,his next works were two small treatises1 ,the ,aqueous ,origin of ,basalt1 and ,the ,metallic ,seams in the ,basalt at ,unkel4 ,and this youth of twenty-one was self-taught both in mineralogy and geology6 ,the wonder was not so great1 perhaps1 that a young man of his age should have written these sketches1 as that1 being wealthy and of the best social position1 the temptations to ease and enjoyment did not draw him away from such subjects4 ,poverty may not be a delight1 but the larger part of the world's work has been done under its stimulus4 ,wealth should be an incentive1 because it gives leisure for careful study1 but this is not always the case4 ,at ,goettingen1 ,humboldt found a friend among the eight hundred4 ,at the house of ,heyne he made the acquaintance of ,george ,foster1 ,heyne's son-in-law1 a man who exerted a remarkable and lasting influence over him4 ,foster was thirty-six2 ,humboldt1 fifteen years his junior4 ,he had been around the world with ,captain ,cook in his second voyage1 and had published an able book upon the subject4 ,he was skilled in chemistry1 philosophy1 literature1 and politics1 understood ,latin1 ,greek1 ,french1 ,english1 ,dutch1 and ,italian1 and was somewhat conversant with the ,swedish1 ,spanish1 ,portuguese1 ,russian1 and ,polish languages4 ,the influence of such a man can well be imagined4 ,he became a guiding star to the young ,goettingen student4 ,if we could but estimate the value of right friendships in life6 ,we flatter ourselves that we are too strong to be influenced1 and yet we are greatly influenced for good or for evil by those with whom we associate4 ,humboldt always chose intellectual friends1 and the natural result followed4 ,in the spring of #agij1 he left ,goettingen1 and1 with ,foster and ,van ,genns1 took a journey to the ,lower ,rhine1 ,holland1 ,belgium1 ,england1 and ,france1 studying docks1 mines1 botanic gardens1 manufactures1 and churches1 and visiting literary celebrities4 ,still the new friends did not take the place of the old1 for he writes to ,wegener3 ,i beseech you1 dearest ,wegener1 by all the affection which you know ,i bear you1 never to forget our brotherly love and friendship4 ,you are infinitely more to me than ,i can ever be to you4 ,i have now seen the most celebrated places in ,germany1 ,holland1 and ,england--but1 believe me1 ,i have in seeing them never been so happy as while sitting in ,steinbart's arm-chair4 ,the influence of this journey was never lost4 ,sixty-eight years afterward1 ,humboldt said3 ,for the space of thirty years ,i have never known leisure but of an evening1 and the half-century that ,i have spent in this ceaseless activity has been occupied in telling myself and others how much ,i owe my teacher and friend ,george ,foster in the generalization of my views on nature1 and in the strengthening and development of that which had already dawned in me1 before those happy days of intimate friendship4 ,in the latter part of #agij1 ,humboldt went to ,hamburg1 to enter the ,school of ,commerce4 ,he wished to study political economy further1 and to learn practical book-keeping4 ,he wrote to a friend3 ,i am contented with my mode of life at ,hamburg1 but not happy1 less happy even than at ,goettingen1 where the monotony of my existence was relieved by the society of one or two friends and the vicinity of some moss-grown mountains4 ,i am1 however1 always contented when ,i feel that ,i am accomplishing the purpose ,i have in view4444 ,my leisure hours are occupied with geology and botany4444 ,in addition1 ,i have begun to learn ,danish and ,swedish4 ,to ,wegener he writes3 ,i have made considerable progress in general information1 and ,i am beginning to be somewhat more satisfied with my attainments4 ,i worked very hard at ,goettingen1 but all ,i have learned makes me feel only the more keenly how much remains still to know4 ,my health suffered severely1 but improved somewhat during my journey with ,foster2 yet even here ,i continue so closely occupied that ,i find it difficult to spare myself4 ,there is an eager impulse within me1 which often carries me1 ,i fear1 beyond the bounds of reason2 and yet such impetuosity is always necessary to insure success4 ,the eager impulse was a sure indication of something to be accomplished by and by4 ,success does not come with half-hearted effort2 it comes only through a force and persistence that will allow no barriers between us and the goal4 ,at ,easter1 #agia1 ,humboldt left ,hamburg and hastened to the famous ,school of ,mines at ,freiberg1 to study under the celebrated ,werner4 ,here1 as ever1 he attached one ardent friend to himself1 ,freiesleben1 a student in geology4 ,here every moment was occupied4 ,he studied the works of the ,french chemists2 ,guyton de ,moreau1 ,fourcroy1 ,lavoisier1 and ,berthollet4 ,he was daily in the mines1 from six o'clock till twelve4 ,he crowded six lectures into each afternoon4 ,he made a study of the vegetation of that lower world1 from which the sunlight is ever excluded1 and the results were used later in his comprehensive work1 ,flora ,subterranea ,fribergensis4 ,he wrote articles for several scientific journals4 ,a busy life1 indeed1 for the young man of twenty-two6 ,his friend ,freiesleben says of ,humboldt at this time3-- ,the salient points of his attractive character lay in his imperturbable good-nature1 his benevolence and charity1 his remarkable and unselfish amiability1 his susceptibility of friendship and appreciation of nature2 simplicity1 candor1 and the absence of all pretension characterized his whole being2 he possessed conversational powers that made him always lively and entertaining1 together with a degree of wit and humor that led him sometimes to waggishness4 ,it was these admirable qualities which in later years enabled him to soften and attach to himself the untutored savages1 among whom he dwelt for months at a time1 which obtained for him in the civilized world admiration and sympathy wherever he went1 and which gained for him1 while a mere student1 the esteem and devotion of all classes at ,freiberg4 ,he was kindly disposed towards every one1 and knew how to make himself useful and entertaining in every circle of society2 and it was only against every species of inhumanity and coarseness1 against every kind of insolence1 injustice1 or cruelty1 that he ever manifested either scorn or indignation4 ,how the world loves unselfish amiability2 a person who goes through life thinking for others1 not irritable1 not supersensitive1 not censorious6 ,on ,humboldt's return to ,berlin in #agib1 he was at once made ,assessor in the ,administrative ,department of ,mines and ,smelting ,works1 a position for which he had previously applied4 ,as a rule1 places do not seek persons1 however brilliant2 they must seek places4 ,this was a fine opening for a young man1 not yet twenty-three4 ,he went to work with unbounded energy4 ,he investigated the general form of mountains1 collected information as to former methods of working the mines1 by having three chests of mining documents1 belonging to the sixteenth century1 brought to him for careful study1 and made a report on the salt1 alum1 and vitriol works1 and on the porcelain manufactory4 ,the government authorities were so pleased with his thorough report that he was appointed superintendent of mines in the two ,franconian duchies4 ,he wrote to ,freiesleben3 ,i am quite intoxicated with joy4444 ,do not feel anxious about my health2 ,i shall take care not to over-exert myself1 and after the first the work will not be heavy4 ,i cannot conclude without acknowledging that it is again to you that ,i am indebted for this happiness2 indeed ,i feel it only too keenly4 ,what knowledge have ,i1 dear ,freiesleben1 that has not been taught me by you6444 ,how sweet is the thought to me that it is to you that ,i owe all this2 it seems as if it bound me closer to you1 as if ,i carried something about me that had been planted within me and cultivated by yourself4444 ,thus all through life was the appreciative1 warm-hearted man glad to show his gratitude for the stimulus of intellectual friends4 ,who does not love to be appreciated6 ,how many of us wait to say kind things to our friends until death makes it impossible6 ,again he wrote3 ,i possess a certain amount of vanity1 and am willing to confess it2 but ,i know the power of my own will1 and ,i feel that whatever ,i set myself to do ,i shall do well4 ,while so earnestly engaged in study1 ,humboldt1 with his benevolent heart1 could not see the children of the miners grow up in ignorance4 ,he therefore opened free schools for them1 and paid the teachers from his own purse4 ,not many young men at twenty-four would have thought of so admirable a plan4 ,meantime he was experiencing the first keen joy of fame4 ,the ,elector of ,saxony had sent the author of ,flora ,fribergensis a gold medal4 ,the ,swedish botanist ,vahl had named a magnificent species of an ,east ,indian laurel after him1 the laurifolia ,humboldtia4 ,it had paid to be a student2 to be led by the eager impulse within him4 ,the next year he wrote to ,freiesleben3-- ,you are aware that ,i am quite mad enough to be engaged upon three books at once4444 ,i have discovered several new lichens4 ,i have also been occupied upon the history of the weaving of the ancients4444 ,my head is quite distracted with all ,i have to attend to--mining1 banking1 manufacturing1 and organizing2 444 the mines1 however1 are prospering4444 ,i am promoted to be counsellor of mines at ,berlin1 with a salary1 probably1 of fifteen hundred thalers 7here ,i have four hundred71 and1 after remaining there a few months1 ,i shall most likely be appointed director of mines1 either in ,westphalia or ,rothenburg1 and receive from two thousand to three thousand thalers4 ,i tell you everything1 and open my heart to you4 ,in #agie1 having resigned his position in the service of the state1 because of his desire for travel and scientific work1 with two friends1 ,freiesleben1 and ,lieutenant ,reinhard von ,haften1 of ,westphalia1 he journeyed to ,venice1 going through the ,tyrol and the ,alps into ,switzerland4 ,they visited the mountains around ,schaffhausen1 ,zuerich1 and ,berne1 and such notable men of science as ,de ,luc1 ,pictet1 and ,saussure4 ,as ,freiesleben said1 ,no subject having any reference to the physical constitution of the earth1 the atmosphere1 or any point of natural history1 was allowed to escape his attention4 ,an especial bond united ,humboldt and the highly educated ,von ,haften1 since between the latter's sister ,minette and the young scientist there existed a devoted affection4 ,this was cherished for ten years1 but ,humboldt's life of travel and exposure prevented a union which both ardently desired4 ,he sacrificed his affections to science1 and the loneliness of his later years proved the unwisdom of his choice4 ,on his return home1 ,humboldt set himself earnestly to the writing of two books3 one on geology1 the disposition of strata in mountain masses2 the other on the ,excitability of the ,nerves and ,muscles1 describing over four thousand experiments4 ,his devotion to science was shown by the painful experiments upon his own body1 which brought permanent harm to his nervous system4 ,he wrote to a friend3 ,i applied two blisters to my back1 each of the size of a crown-piece1 and covering respectively the trapezius and deltoid muscles4444 ,when the blisters were cut1 and contact made with zinc and silver1 ,i experienced a sharp pain1 which was so severe that the trapezius muscle swelled considerably1 and the quivering was communicated upwards to the base of the skull and the spinous processes of the vertebrae4 ,he also experimented with the noxious gases in mines1 inventing lamps which were the forerunner of ,sir ,humphrey ,davy's4 ,sometimes he was deprived of consciousness by the gases and saved only by the timely aid of friends4 ,always longing for foreign travel1 he went to ,weimar1 to make himself more fully ready for it1 especially by the study of anatomy4 ,here lived his brother ,william1 who had married a brilliant and intellectual woman1 the intimate friend of the wife of ,schiller4 ,here ,humboldt and ,goethe became earnest friends4 ,goethe says3 ,during ,humboldt's visit1 my time has been usefully and agreeably spent2 his presence has had the effect of arousing from its winter sleep my taste for natural science4 ,years afterward ,goethe said to ,eckermann3 ,alexander von ,humboldt has been with me for some hours this morning2 what an extraordinary man he is6 ,though ,i have known him for so long1 ,i am always struck with fresh amazement in his company4 ,he may be said to be without a rival in extent of information and acquaintance with existing sciences4 ,he possesses1 too1 a versatility of genius which ,i have never seen equalled4 ,whatever may be the subject broached1 he seems quite at home in it1 and showers upon us treasures in profusion from his stores of knowledge4 ,he resembles a living fountain1 whence flow many streams1 yielding to all comers a quickening and refreshing draught4 ,he will remain here a few days1 and ,i already feel that ,i shall have lived through years in the time4 ,that ,humboldt valued this friendship is shown by the dedication to ,goethe of the first part of his ,travels in ,america4 ,the project of foreign travel was long delayed by sickness1 war1 and various disappointments4 ,but1 in life1 obstacles are the common lot of mortals1 and he alone is wise who breasts them cheerfully1 patiently1 and persistently4 ,humboldt said1 ,it is impossible not to feel the severity of this disappointment2 but it is the part of a man to work1 and not to yield to unavailing regrets4 ,hard6 well1 and what of that8 ,didst fancy life one summer holiday1 ,with lessons none to learn1 and naught but play8 ,go1 get thee to thy task4 ,conquer or die6 ,it must be learned4 ,learn it then1 patiently4 ,at last1 in #agii1 when ,humboldt was thirty1 the long contemplated journey to ,south ,america was about to be realized4 ,he had already published some astronomical treatises on the determination of latitudes1 trigonometrical measures of the ,alpine ranges1 etc42 had given lectures in ,paris1 before the ,national ,institute1 on the nature of nitrous gas1 and the possibility of a more exact analysis of the atmosphere2 and had spent some time in ,spain1 with the well known botanist ,bonpland1 in collecting plants1 and making observations in connection with meteorology1 geology1 and magnetism4 ,while at ,madrid1 through ,herr von ,forell1 a distinguished patron of science1 ,humboldt was received at court and obtained permission of the king to visit the ,spanish colonies in ,america4 ,at his own expense1 the best scientific instruments were procured1 and ,june #e1 #agii1 at two o'clock in the afternoon1 he and ,bonpland1 with their crew and a few others1 sailed away1 in the corvette ,pizarro1 for a five years' journey4 ,he sent tender farewell messages back to his family1 as he called ,william's children1 and then stifled any feelings of loneliness or homesickness which he had in his heart1 by his favorite motto1 ,man must ever strive after all that is good and great4 ,june #bj1 they were at the foot of the ,peak of ,teneriffe4 ,he wrote to his brother3 ,i am quite in a state of ecstasy at finding myself at length on ,african soil1 surrounded by cocoa-nut palms and bananas4444 ,i returned last night from an excursion up the peak4 ,what an amazing scene6 ,what a gratification6 ,we descended some way into the crater1 perhaps farther than any previous scientific traveller4444 ,what a remarkable spectacle was presented to us at this height of eleven thousand five hundred feet4444 ,at two in the morning we were already on our way towards the last cone4 ,the heavens were bright with stars1 and the moon shone with a gentle radiance2 but this calm was soon to be disturbed4 ,the storm raged violently round the summit2 we were obliged to cling fast to the edge of the crater4 ,the wind rushed through the rifts with a noise like thunder1 while a veil of cloud separated us from the world below4 ,after a voyage of nineteen days1 the ship entered the harbor of ,cumana1 on the north coast of ,south ,america4 ,here they enjoyed the new and strange scenes2 the houses built of satin-wood2 the copper-colored ,indians outside the town1 living in bamboo huts1 covered with the leaves of the cocoa-nut palm2 these great trees from fifty to sixty feet high1 with large red bunches of flowers4 ,even the crabs1 said ,humboldt1 are sky-blue and gold6 ,by ,november they had dried more than sixteen hundred plants1 and described about six hundred new varieties4 ,he had taken observations of the solar eclipse of ,october #bh1 and so severely burnt his face that he was obliged to remain in bed for two days4 ,going to ,caracas1 they spent two months and a half climbing mountains1 visiting hot springs1 and forming an intimate acquaintance with tigers1 crocodiles1 monkeys1 and boa constrictors4 ,here they discovered the singular cow-tree1 with dry and tough leaves1 but which gives out a sweet nourishing milk when an incision is made in its stem4 ,at sunrise this vegetable spring is the richest3 then the negroes and the natives come from all sides1 provided with large vessels to collect the milk1 which turns yellow and thickens on the surface4 ,in ,february1 #ahjj1 the travellers traced the water system of the ,orinoco1 often in the midst of danger4 ,once1 in a severe storm1 their boat was two-thirds full of water4 ,our position1 says ,humboldt1 was truly appalling2 the shore was distant from us more than a mile1 where a number of crocodiles could be discerned lying half out of the water4 ,even if we had gained the shore against the fury of the waves and the voracity of the crocodiles1 we should infallibly have either perished from hunger or been torn in pieces by the tigers1 for the woods upon these shores are so dense and so intertwined with lianas as to be absolutely impenetrable4 ,the strongest man1 axe in hand1 could hardly make his way in twenty days for the distance of a league4 ,the river too is so little frequented that even an ,indian canoe scarcely passes oftener than once in two months4 ,at this most momentous and perilous crisis a gust of wind filled the sails of our little vessel and effected in a marvellous manner our deliverance4 ,to his botanist friend1 ,willdenow1 he writes3--,during four months of this journey we passed the night in forests1 surrounded by crocodiles1 boa constrictors1 and tigers1 which are here bold enough to attack a canoe1 while for food we had nothing better than rice1 ants1 bananas1 and occasionally the flesh of monkeys1 with only the waters of the ,orinoco wherewith to quench our thirst4 ,thus have we with difficulty toiled1 our hands and faces swollen with mosquito bites1 from ,mondvaca to the volcano of ,duida1 from the limits of ,quito to the frontier of ,surinam--through tracts of country extending over twenty thousand square miles1 in which no ,indian is to be met with1 and where the traveller encounters only apes or serpents4 ,in ,guiana the mosquitoes abound in such clouds as to darken the air1 and1 as it is absolutely necessary to keep head and hands constantly covered1 no writing can be done by daylight2 the intolerable pain produced by the attacks of these insects renders it impossible to hold the pen steadily4 ,all our work had therefore to be carried on by the light of a fire1 in an ,indian hut1 where no ray of sunlight could penetrate1 and into which we had to creep on our hands and knees4 ,here1 if we escaped the torment of the mosquitoes1 we were almost choked by the smoke4 ,at ,maypures1 we and the ,indians took refuge in the midst of the cascade1 where the spray from the foaming stream kept off the insects4 ,at ,higuerote1 the people are accustomed at night to lie buried three or four inches deep in sand1 with only the head exposed4 ,sometimes twenty-four ,indians were in ,humboldt's employ for months together1 and fourteen mules were required to carry his instruments and plants4 ,after a year and a half spent in ,south ,america1 ,humboldt sailed for ,cuba1 where he remained for several months1 collecting material for his ,political ,essay on the ,island of ,cuba4 ,from there he went to ,quito1 in ,ecuador1 crossing one of the most difficult passes in the ,andes1 the path so narrow that it rarely exceeds twelve or sixteen inches in width1 and for the most part resembles an open gallery cut in the rock1 and the ,paramos of ,pasto1 desert regions where1 at a height of about twelve thousand feet above the sea1 all vegetation ceases1 and the cold is so intense as to penetrate to the very bones4 ,in ,june1 #ahjb1 they reached ,quito1 where1 five years previously1 an earthquake had destroyed forty thousand people4 ,this month they made the ascent of ,chimborazo1 at that time regarded as the highest mountain in the world4 ,at certain places1 he says1 where it was very steep1 we were obliged to use both hands and feet1 and the edges of the rock were so sharp that we were painfully cut1 especially on our hands4 ,as they climbed on1 one after another1 we all began to feel indisposed1 and experienced a feeling of nausea accompanied by giddiness1 which was far more distressing than the difficulty of breathing4444 ,blood exuded from the lips and gums1 and the eyes became bloodshot4444 ,a few rock-lichens were to be observed above the line of perpetual snow1 at a height of sixteen thousand nine hundred and twenty feet2 the last green moss we noticed was growing about twenty-six hundred feet lower4 ,a butterfly was captured by ,m4 ,bonpland1 at a height of fifteen thousand feet1 and a fly was observed sixteen hundred feet higher4444 ,when we were at a height of about seventeen thousand four hundred feet we encountered a violent hailstorm4 ,the height of the mountain is over twenty-one thousand feet4 ,the intrepid ,humboldt four times crossed the ,andes2 he travelled over ,peru2 he called attention to the fertilizing properties of guano1 and then he sailed for ,mexico1 where he remained for a year4 ,here he met a lady greatly esteemed in that country1 called the fair ,rodriguez1 the most beautiful woman he had seen in his journeys1 but whom he admired more for her graces of mind than her beauty of person4 ,he regarded her as an ,american ,madame de ,stael4 ,it is asserted that the grave man of science was deeply interested1 but it was too late--she was already the wife of another1 and had two children4 ,humboldt1 like most other great men1 all his life enjoyed the society of intellectual women1 who were a constant inspiration4 ,after two months passed at ,havana1 ,humboldt came to the ,united ,states1 spending three weeks with ,president ,jefferson1 at his home at ,monticello4 ,he never failed to speak in grateful terms of the courtesy he received from ,americans4 ,he studied carefully our institutions1 and greatly admired the republic2 slavery alone saddened him4 ,on ,july #i1 #ahjd1 after five years of absence1 he set sail for ,france4 ,europe received him with universal joy4 ,he had been reported dead4 ,he was thirty-five1 handsome1 and famous4 ,he had travelled over forty thousand miles1 and brought back over sixty thousand specimens of plants4 ,he was made a member of the ,royal ,academy of ,sciences in ,berlin1 and later a member of the ,legion of ,honor1 and of about one hundred and fifty other societies2 indeed1 of all the great associations of the land4 ,and now the result of his travels must be given to the world in books4 ,while he was preparing them1 he yet found time to spend months together in the ,ecole ,polytechnique1 experimenting in chemistry with his devoted friend ,gay-,lussac2 with ,biot1 he made investigations in magnetism2 with ,arago1 in astronomy2 with ,cuvier1 in anatomy4 ,most of the time from #ahjh to #ahbg1 nineteen years1 he remained in ,paris1 devoting his time to his great work4 ,in the forenoons he usually studied and experimented2 from twelve to seven he wrote1 and then1 if his evenings were spent socially1 he wrote again from midnight till half-past two1 usually allowing himself only four hours for sleep4 ,so popular was he that he often went to five receptions in an evening4 ,year after year his works on ,america appeared1 till twenty-nine volumes were published6 ,the first part was entitled1 ,voyage in the ,equatorial ,regions of the ,new ,continent4 ,this described a portion of his journey in three volumes2 views of the ,cordilleras and the native peoples of ,america1 one volume with sixty plates2 an atlas of the new continent1 with thirty-nine maps2 a critical examination of the history of the geography of the middle ages1 in five volumes4 ,the second part related largely to zooelogy and comparative anatomy in the new regions2 the third part related chiefly to ,mexico2 the fourth part to astronomical observations1 measurement with the barometer1 etc42 the fifth part1 geology1 and the geography of plants2 the sixth part1 plants in ,mexico1 ,cuba1 and ,south ,america1 in two volumes1 with nearly one hundred and fifty engravings2 two volumes more1 with one hundred and twenty colored plates2 seven volumes of new species1 with seven hundred engravings1 and several other books4 ,the expense of bringing out these works was enormous2 the copper-plate illustrations cost in printing and paper alone about one hundred and seventy thousand dollars4 ,as the price of the volumes was about twenty-seven hundred dollars1 the number of purchasers was comparatively limited4 ,humboldt had used all his fortune in his journeys and in publishing his books1 and was now a poor man1 dependent upon a pension from his king4 ,but he was the pride of his nation1 and beloved in ,france as well4 ,humboldt and ,guizot were like brothers1 and for forty years corresponded affectionately with each other4 ,arago he held dearest in this life4 ,his last letter to ,arago1 small in size but so full of matter1 was the greatest comfort to the dying astronomer4 ,during all these busy twenty years he had honors heaped upon him4 ,he was offered the position of ,ambassador to ,vienna1 but declined4 ,he accompanied the ,king of ,prussia to ,england in #ahad1 and was with him at the peace of ,aix-la-,chapelle and at the ,congress of ,verona4 ,busy as he was1 he seemed to find time to befriend everybody1 especially young men4 ,liebig says in the preface of his work dedicated to ,humboldt3 ,during my residence in ,paris1 ,i gave a course of lectures at the ,academy in the winter of #ahbc-d1 upon an analytic investigation of ,howard's fulminating mercury and silver--my first effort in the field of science4 ,at the close of the sitting of ,march #bb1 #ahbd1 while busy packing up my apparatus1 a gentleman came up to me from among a group of academicians1 and entered into conversation4 ,in the most winning manner1 he made inquiry as to the objects of my study1 my present occupations1 and the plans ,i had laid for the future4 ,we separated without my knowing to whom ,i was indebted for this kind expression of interest1 for my shyness and inexperience had not allowed me to make the inquiry4 ,this conversation laid the foundation of my future career1 for ,i thus acquired a kind friend and a powerful patron in my scientific undertakings4444 ,from that time all doors were thrown open to me1 ,i had access to every institution and every laboratory3 the great interest you took in me procured the love and intimate friendship of my instructors1 ,gay-,lussac1 ,dulong1 and ,thenard1 to all of whom ,i became deeply attached4 ,the confidence which you accorded me was the means of my introduction into a sphere of labor which during the last sixteen years it has ever been my ambition worthily to occupy4 ,when ,agassiz was a poor medical student in ,paris1 ,humboldt visited him4 ,agassiz says3-- ,after a cordial greeting1 he walked straight to what was then my library--a small book-shelf containing a few classics1 the meanest editions1 bought for a trifle1 along the quays1 some works on philosophy and history1 chemistry and physics1 his own ',aspects of ,nature1' ',aristotle's ,zooelogy1' ',linnaeus' ,systema ,naturae1' in several editions1 ',cuvier's ,regne ,animal1' and quite a number of manuscript quartos1 copies which1 with the assistance of my brother1 ,i had made of works ,i was too poor to buy1 though they cost but a few francs a volume4444 ,it was no doubt apparent to him that ,i was not over-familiar with the good things of this world1 for ,i shortly afterward received an invitation to meet him at six o'clock in the ,galerie ,vitree of the ,palais ,royal1 whence he led me into one of those restaurants the tempting windows of which ,i had occasionally passed by4 ,when we were seated1 he half laughingly1 half inquiringly1 asked me whether ,i would order the dinner4 ,i declined the invitation1 saying that we should fare better if he would take the trouble4 ,and for three hours1 which passed like a dream1 ,i had him all to myself4 ,how he examined me1 and how much ,i learned in that short time6 ,how to work1 what to do1 and what to avoid2 how to live2 how to distribute my time2 what methods of study to pursue2 these were the things of which he talked to me on that delightful evening4 ,noble ,humboldt6 so great that everybody honored and looked up to him2 so kindly interested in others that everybody loved him6 ,in #ahbg1 at the request of his king1 ,humboldt returned to ,berlin1 and became chamberlain1 with a yearly salary of five thousand thalers4 ,he gave this year1 before the university1 a course of free1 public lectures upon physical geography1 sixty nine in all1 which afterwards formed the basis of his grandest work1 ,cosmos4 ,the first four lectures were a general description of nature2 then astronomy1 the principal outlines of geology and meteorology1 the distribution of plants and animals1 the history of the study of our globe1 volcanoes1 the ocean1 the atmosphere1 and the human race4 ,the lectures were crowded and the applause unexampled4 ,a second course1 of sixteen lectures1 was given to the public in the music hall1 the royal family coming with the thousands who gathered each evening4 ,a grand way to educate the people6 ,would that at the expense of some philanthropist such a course might be given in every city4 ,in #ahbi1 at the request of ,emperor ,nicholas1 ,humboldt made a scientific expedition to eastern ,russia1 travelling over nine thousand miles in twenty-five weeks4 ,he was now in his sixtieth year1 but he climbed high mountains with no apparent fatigue4 ,the emperor was delighted with the results of the expedition1 which were published in several volumes4 ,he said1 ,your sojourn in ,russia has been the cause of immense progress to my country2 you spread a life-giving influence wherever you go4 ,he presented ,humboldt with a sable cloak worth five thousand rubles1 and a malachite vase seven feet high1 worth nearly forty thousand rubles4 ,the death of friends saddened this busy year1 #ahbi4 ,william's wife had died1 and left him utterly desolate4 ,in his ministry to several countries1 she had honored and graced his diplomatic positions4 ,he did not long survive her4 ,wholly given up to grief1 said ,alexander1 he seeks in the depth of his misery the only consolation that can render life supportable1 while he occupies himself with intellectual pursuits as with the drudgery of a task4 ,he died four years later1 tenderly watched over by his illustrious brother1 to whom he said in dying1 ,think of me often1 but always with cheerfulness4 ,i have been very happy1 and even to-day has been a glorious day with me1 for there is nothing more beautiful than love4 ,i shall soon be with the mother1 and enter upon a higher order of being4 ,this death was a great blow to ,alexander4 ,he said1 ,i am quite bereft of hope4 ,i did not think that my old eyes could have shed so many tears4444 ,i am the unhappiest of men4444 ,i have lost half of myself4 ,a few months later ,william's eldest daughter1 ,caroline1 died1 to whom ,alexander was tenderly attached4 ,from henceforth his life was devoted to his sovereign ,frederick ,william ,,iv41 to ,cosmos1 and to his ever widening circle of friends4 ,two thousand letters or more came to him yearly1 and till late in life he answered each one1 and answered it promptly1 showing thereby how truly well bred he was in manner1 and how truly kind in heart4 ,in #ahcd1 when he was sixty-five1 he began the publication of ,cosmos1 in five volumes1 the most comprehensive compendium of modern science4 ,it was soon translated into ,english1 meeting with a cordial reception in that country1 and into ,french1 ,dutch1 and ,italian4 ,even at the age of sixty-five1 so eager was he to know more that he attended courses of lectures on ,grecian antiquities and literature1 and upon chemistry1 taking notes among the young university students4 ,he now lived with the king1 at ,sans-,souci1 spending every evening with him1 and becoming the confidential friend of both king and queen4 ,when ,humboldt was ill1 the king would read to him by the hour4 ,frederick ,william ,,iv4 conferred on him the decoration of the ,star of the ,red ,eagle1 the ,order of the ,black ,eagle1 the highest honor in the royal power to confer1 and the ,order of ,merit1 given to those who throughout ,europe have won for themselves a name either in the arts or sciences4 ,till the last years of his life ,humboldt showed the same marvellous energy and industry4 ,at eighty he said1 ,i am more than ever filled with a zest for work and literary distinction4 ,when he wrote to friends for information in finishing ,cosmos1 he asked for speedy answers1 saying1 ,the dead ride fast4 ,on the fortieth anniversary of his return to ,europe1 a fete was given in his honor1 by the ,berlin ,academy4 ,later his bust was placed in the ,french ,institute4 ,the freedom of the city of ,berlin was presented to him4 ,america sent him in #aheh1 on his eighty-ninth birthday1 an album of nine maps1 showing the scores of towns1 counties1 rivers1 bays1 and mountains which had received his name4 ,letters came from all parts of the world1 breathing love and admiration4 ,yet1 with all this honor1 he was often lonely1 and spoke of the ennui of life4 ,after the regency1 ,humboldt lived at ,berlin1 in an unostentatious home1 with his attendant1 ,seifert4 ,on ,may #f1 #ahei1 at half-past two in the afternoon1 death came to ,alexander von ,humboldt1 at the age of ninety4 ,his mind was clear to the last4 ,all ranks gathered at the public funeral1 for all1 from king to peasant1 had lost a friend4 ,with uncovered head1 the ,prince ,regent received the procession at the door of the cathedral1 amid the tolling of the bells1 and then they buried him at the summer home of his childhood1 ,tegel1 by the side of ,william4 ,a new edition of his select works1 including ,cosmos1 was published in ,stuttgart1 in #ahgd1 in thirty-six volumes4 ,great in learning1 great in achievement1 great in will-power2 unwise sometimes in utterance1 as in the ,varnhagen letters--how seldom is it safe or wise to express our inmost thoughts2--sarcastic sometimes in his language--a dangerous power1 to be used sparingly1 if indeed ever1--and yet withal a noble1 unselfish1 marvellous-minded man1 who1 as ,agassiz says1 exerted upon science a personal influence which is incalculable4 ,,sir ,,humphrey ,,davy4 ,illustration3 ,,sir ,,humphrey ,,davy4 ,coleridge said1 ,had not ,davy been the first chemist1 he probably would have been the first poet of his age4 ,said ,professor ,silliman's ,american ,journal of ,science and ,arts3 ,his reputation is too intimately associated with the eternal laws of nature to suffer decay2 and the name of ,davy1 like those of ,archimedes1 ,galileo1 and ,newton1 which grow greener by time1 will descend to the latest posterity4 ,davy was poor and self-taught1 but he triumphed over obstacles1 and died universally lamented4 ,the eldest son in a family of five children1 ,humphrey ,davy was born at ,penzance1 ,cornwall1 ,england1 ,december #ag1 #aggh1 the year in which ,carl ,linnaeus died4 ,he was a bright1 active child1 making rhymes when he was five years old1 and reciting them at the ,christmas gatherings4 ,in consequence of his retentive memory1 he could repeat a great part of ,pilgrim's ,progress before he could read it4 ,this book and ,a,esop's ,fables were his favorites4 ,when ,humphrey was six1 he was sent to a grammar school kept by ,rev4 ,mr4 ,coryton1 a man who had the vicious habit of punishing by pulling the pupils' ears4 ,on one occasion1 ,humphrey came to school with a large plaster on each ear4 ,upon being asked what was the matter1 he said1 with a grave face1 that he had put the plasters on to prevent a mortification6 ,as he grew older1 he composed ,latin and ,english verses easily1 and was in great demand among the boys as a writer of valentines and love-letters4 ,though shy in manner1 with his vivid imagination and flow of language1 he told stories remarkably well1 and might have been seen1 often1 in a cart at the ,star ,inn1 addressing a most attentive audience4 ,says his brother1 ,dr4 ,john ,davy1 ,humphrey1 when a boy1 was fond of declaiming1 and indulged in it in his solitary walks and rambles4 ,on one occasion it is recorded of him1 that1 on his way to visit a poor patient in the country 7during his apprenticeship71 in the fever of declamation1 he threw out of his hand a vial of medicine which he had to administer1 and that when he arrived at the bedside of the poor woman he was surprised at the loss of it4 ,the potion was found the next day in a hay-field adjoining the path4 ,when ,humphrey was fourteen he attended the ,truro ,grammar ,school for a year1 where he was greatly liked for his good-humor1 affectionate disposition1 and originality4 ,says ,mr4 ,nicholls1 a school friend1 ,i can never forget that as boys we knew and loved each other4 ,i recollect a visit he paid in company with his aunt at my father's1 who then resided at ,lanarth4 ,he was a great favorite2 but there was even then an original mode of thinking and acting observable in him1--one instance of which ,i well remember2--it was on rather a hot day1 when my father1 mother1 your aunt1 ,humphrey1 and myself1 were to walk to a place a mile or two distant1 ,i forget for what purpose4 ,whilst others complained of the heat1 and whilst ,i unbuttoned my waistcoat1 ,humphrey appeared with his great-coat close-buttoned up to his chin1 for the purpose1 as he declared1 of keeping out the heat4 ,this was laughed at at the time1 but it struck me then1 as it appears to me now1 as evincing originality of thought and an indisposition to be led by the example of others4 ,at fifteen his school education was considered complete4 ,the next year he studied ,french1 gave a good deal of time to fishing1 of which he was always fond1 and apparently had little definite purpose4 ,about this time his father died1 and the straitened circumstances of the family now seemed to awaken all the energy and nobility of his nature4 ,seeing his mother in deep affliction1 he begged her not to grieve1 saying that he would do all he could for his brothers and sisters4 ,and he never forgot this promise4 ,the following year he was apprenticed to ,mr4 ,bingham ,borlase1 practising surgeon and apothecary in ,penzance4 ,young ,davy now seemed destined to become a physician1 but his note-books show that he intended to know other things besides medicine4 ,he laid out a plan for study3 theology1 logic1 astronomy1 mathematics1 ,latin1 ,greek1 ,italian1 ,spanish1 and ,hebrew4 ,he said later1 ,almost all great deeds arise from a plenitude of hope or desire4 ,no man ever had genius who did not aim to execute more than he was able4 ,and all his life he planned to do twice as much as he was ever able to do4 ,and yet he knew that he must bind himself to a few things1 if he would succeed4 ,he said1 ,in minds of great power1 there is usually a disposition to variety of pursuits1 and they often attempt all branches of letters and science1 and even the imitative arts2 but if they become truly eminent1 it is by devotion to one object at a time1 or at most two objects4 ,this sort of general power is like a profusion of blossoms on a fruit tree1 a symptom of health and strength2 but if all are suffered to become fruit1 all are feeble and bad2 if the greater portion is destroyed by accident or art1 the remainder1 being properly nourished1 become healthy1 large1 and good4 ,in these early note-books1 he began to show an unusual and mature mind4 ,he wrote essays3 ,on the ,immortality and the ,immateriality of the ,soul1 ,on ,governments1 ,on ,moral ,obligation1 and the like4 ,of ,friendship1 he wrote at seventeen3 ,it is a composition of the noblest passions of the mind2 a just taste and love of virtue1 good-sense1 a thorough candor and benignity of heart1 and a generous sympathy of sentiment and affections1 are the essential ingredients of this nobler passion4 ,when it originates from love and esteem1 is strengthened by habit1 and mellowed by time1 it yields infinite pleasure1 ever new and ever growing4 ,it is the best support amongst the numerous trials and vicissitudes of life1 and gives a relish to most of our enjoyments4 ,what can be imagined more comfortable than to have a friend to console us in afflictions1 to advise with us in doubtful cases1 and share our felicity8444 ,it exalts our nobler passions1 and weakens our evil inclinations2 it assists us to run the race of virtue with a steady and undeviating course4 ,from loving1 esteeming1 and endeavoring to felicitate particular people1 a more general passion will arise for the whole of mankind4 ,he finishes this essay with an allegory4 ,god is described as deliberating with the angels on the propriety of creating woman4 ,justice1 ,peace1 and ,virtue plead against her creation1 as through her ,adam will be driven out of ,paradise4 ,then ,divine ,love stands before ,jehovah1 her countenance covered with smiles4 ,create her1 she says1 for ,paradise itself will afford no delight to man without woman4 ,she will be the cause of his misery1 but she will likewise be the cause of all his happiness4 ,she will console him in affliction2 she will comfort and harmonize his soul2 she will wipe the tears from his eyes1 and compose the fury of his passions4 ,her friendship shall make him virtuous1 and her love shall make him happy2 and1 lastly1 the tree of their transgression1 and the plant of immortality1 nourished by the blood of her son1 shall flourish1 and grow out of ,paradise1 and overspread the earth3 man shall eat of their fruit1 and be immortal and happy4 ,all through these early note-books are scattered his poems1 showing a passion for the blue sea at ,penzance1 and an unbounded love of nature4 ,just as he was entering his nineteenth year1 young ,davy began the study of chemistry1 as a branch of his profession4 ,he read ,lavoisier's ,elements of ,chemistry1 and ,nicholson's ,dictionary of ,chemistry4 ,suddenly a new world seemed to open before him4 ,he began to think for himself1 and to make experiments4 ,as his means were limited1 his apparatus consisted of vials1 wine-glasses1 tea-cups1 tobacco-pipes1 and earthen crucibles4 ,his first experiments were the effects of acids and alkalies on vegetable colors1 the kind of air in the vesicles of common seaweed1 and the solution and precipitation of metals4 ,these were made in his bedroom in ,mr4 ,tonkin's house1 or in the kitchen1 when he required fire4 ,this old gentleman had brought up his mother and her two orphan sisters1 and now was like a father to ,humphrey4 ,he said1 ,this boy1 ,humphrey1 is incorrigible4 ,was there ever so idle a dog6 ,he will blow us all into the air4 ,he was at this time probably making a detonating composition1 which he called thunder power1 his sister ,kitty being his assistant4 ,at this time1 a young man came to board at the house of ,mrs4 ,davy1 ,gregory ,watt1 the only child of ,james ,watt1 the inventor of the steam-engine4 ,he was the idol of his parents2 possessed of a mind so unusual in its passionate love for knowledge1 and a nature so companionable1 that everybody loved him4 ,he was twenty-one1 and ,humphrey nineteen4 ,between these two young men there grew a most ardent and lasting friendship2 lasting because it had the only sure foundation1 moral and mental worth4 ,they were always together4 ,they visited the neighboring mines and mountains1 and came home with their pockets filled with minerals4 ,the brilliant ,gregory died at twenty-eight1 but ,davy lived to show the fruits of one of the most beautiful things in life1 the affinity of two noble and intellectual souls1 with similar tastes and aspirations4 ,this death was a great loss to ,humphrey4 ,he wrote to a friend3 ,poor ,watt6 ,he ought not to have died4 ,i could not persuade myself that he would die3 and until the very moment when ,i was assured of his fate1 ,i would not believe he was in any danger4 ,his letters to me only three or four months ago were full of spirit1 and spoke not of any infirmity of body1 but of an increased strength of mind4 ,why is this in the order of nature1 that there is such a difference in the duration and destruction of her works8 ,if the mere stone decays1 it is to produce a soil which is capable of nourishing the moss and the lichen2 when the moss and the lichen die1 and decompose1 they produce a mould1 which becomes the bed of life to grasses1 and to more exalted species of vegetables4 ,vegetables are the food of animals2 the less perfect animals of the more perfect2 but in man the faculties and intellect are perfected4 ,he rises1 exists for a little while in disease and misery2 and then would seem to disappear1 without an end1 and without producing any effect4 ,we are deceived1 my dear ,clayfield1 if we suppose that the human being1 who has formed himself for action1 but who has been unable to act1 is lost in the mass of being2 there is some arrangement of things which we can never comprehend1 but in which his faculties will be applied4444 ,gregory was a noble fellow1 and would have been a great man4 ,oh6 there was no reason for his dying--he ought not to have died4 ,this death broke the spirit of ,james ,watt1 the father1 who ever after kept beside him1 in the attic at ,heathfield1 the little1 old-fashioned hair trunk of his beloved ,gregory1 full of his school-books1 letters1 and childish toys4 ,it stands to-day1 where it did eighty years ago1 beside the mouldering beams of the sculpture machine4 ,that life is not short1 however few the years1 which leaves such an undying influence and such beautiful memories4 ,humphrey was now twenty-six1 and much had come into his young life4 ,he had applied himself with zeal to his professional studies1 had read ,locke1 and ,rollin1 and ,gibbon1 and ,shakspeare1 and at twenty had been appointed to take charge of the ,pneumatic ,institution at ,clifton1 established by ,dr4 ,beddoes4 ,it had been founded to give an opportunity of trying the medicinal effects of various gases1 and was supported by liberal men of science4 ,so distressed was his old friend1 ,mr4 ,tonkin1 that he should give up the idea of being a surgeon in ,penzance1 that he revoked a legacy he had made him in his will6 ,davy's life was now an extremely busy one4 ,he published1 when he was twenty-one1 his ,essays on ,heat and ,light1 beginning his work1 like ,sir ,isaac ,newton1 when but a youth4 ,he discovered silica in the epidermis of the stems of weeds1 corn1 and grasses4 ,he found the intoxicating effects of breathing nitrous oxide1 ,april #i1 #agii1 and his experiments on this subject were published the following year4 ,he spent ten months of incessant labor in them1 often endangering and once nearly losing his life from breathing carburetted hydrogen4 ,he made experiments on galvanic electricity1 increasing the powers of the ,galvanic ,pile of ,volta4 ,he also planned and partly wrote an epic poem on the deliverance of the ,israelites from ,egypt4 ,worn with overwork1 he returned to see his widowed mother at ,penzance4 ,he had been absent a year4 ,how glad were all to greet the rising young scientist6 ,not least glad was ,davy's water spaniel1 ,chloe4 ,when very small1 and about to be drowned1 he begged her as a gift1 and with great care reared her to be his hunting and fishing companion4 ,at first she did not know him1 but when1 with his peculiarly musical voice1 he called her by name1 she was in a transport of joy4 ,davy never forgot his early life at ,penzance4 ,in his will he left a sum of money to be paid annually to the master of the grammar school1 on condition that the boys may have a holiday on his birthday4 ,one secret of ,davy's early success was1 no doubt1 his ambition4 ,he used to say that he had been kept largely from the temptations of youth by an active mind1 a deep ideal feeling of good1 and a look towards future greatness4 ,the young man or woman who definitely plans to be somebody seldom finds any obstacles along the road too great to be overcome4 ,he wrote in his note-book3 ,i have neither riches1 nor power1 nor birth to recommend me2 yet1 if ,i live1 ,i trust ,i shall not be of less service to mankind1 and to my friends1 than if ,i had been born with these advantages4 ,at the ,pneumatic ,institution he found in ,mrs4 ,beddoes the best and most amiable woman in the world1 a helper in the development of his genius4 ,like the wife of ,william ,humboldt1 and like any other woman who combines heart and intellect1 ,mrs4 ,beddoes gathered about her1 in her home1 ,coleridge and ,southey1 and other bright minds of ,clifton4 ,here ,davy1 scarcely more than a boy1 with his soft brown curling hair1 his beautiful smile1 and his wonderfully bright eyes1 which seemed almost to emit a soft light1 when animated1 in the midst of congenial friends1 was stimulated to do his best4 ,years after this1 ,wordsworth gave ,dr4 ,john ,davy a letter to ,coleridge1 on the back of which he had written3 ,this from ,davy1 the great chemist4 ,it is an affectionate letter4 ,,my ,,dear ,,coleridge1--,my mind is disturbed1 and my body harassed by many labors2 yet ,i cannot suffer you to depart1 without endeavoring to express to you some of the unbroken and higher feelings of my spirit1 which have you at once for their cause and object4 ,years have passed away since we first met2 and your presence1 and recollections with regard to you1 have afforded me continued sources of enjoyment4 ,some of the better feelings of my nature have been elevated by your converse1 and thoughts which you have nursed have been to me an eternal source of consolation4 ,in whatever part of the world you are1 you will often live with me1 not as a fleeting idea1 but as a recollection possessed of creative energy1--as an imagination winged with fire1 inspiring and rejoicing4444 ,may blessings attend you1 my dear friend6 ,do not forget me3 we live for different ends1 and with different habits and pursuits2 but our feelings with regard to each other have1 ,i believe1 never altered4 ,they must continue2 they can have no natural death2 and ,i trust they can never be destroyed by fortune1 chance1 or accident4 ,thus his sweet1 kindly nature was an inspiration to others4 ,he believed in amiability4 ,he said1 later1 of temper in the marriage state3 ,upon points of affection it is only for the parties themselves to form just opinions of what is really necessary to ensure the felicity of the marriage state4 ,riches appear to me not at all necessary2 but competence1 ,i think1 is2 and after this more depends upon the temper of the individual than upon personal or even intellectual circumstances4 ,the finest spirits1 the most exquisite wines1 the nectars and ambrosias of modern tables1 will be all spoilt by a few drops of bitter extract2 and a bad temper has the same effect in life1 which is made up1 not of great sacrifices or duties1 but of little things1 in which smiles and kindness1 and small obligations given habitually1 are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort4 ,when ,davy was twenty-three1 a brilliant opening came to him2 came as it did to ,cuvier1 ,newton1 and others1 through the influence of a friend4 ,count ,rumford had been instrumental in founding the ,royal ,philosophical ,institution for the diffusion of a knowledge of science4 ,through his works on heat1 nitrous oxide1 and galvanic electricity1 ,davy had made the acquaintance of ,dr4 ,hope1 the distinguished professor of chemistry in the ,university of ,edinburgh4 ,he recommended ,davy to ,count ,rumford1 as fitted for the professorship of chemistry in the ,royal ,institution1 an appointment1 ,davy wrote to his mother1 as honorable as any scientific appointment in the kingdom1 with an income of at least five hundred pounds a year4 ,he had evidently kept the look towards future greatness in his heart4 ,six weeks after his arrival in ,london1 in the spring of #ahja1 ,davy gave his first lecture1 upon the history of galvanism1 and the different modes of accumulating galvanic influence4 ,the sensation created by his first course of lectures at the ,institution1 says the ,philosophical ,magazine1 and the enthusiastic admiration which they obtained1 is at this period hardly to be imagined4 ,men of the first rank and talent1--the literary and the scientific1 the practical and the theoretical1--blue-stockings and women of fashion1 the old and the young1 all crowded1 eagerly crowded1 the lecture-room4 ,his youth1 his simplicity1 his natural eloquence1 his chemical knowledge1 his happy illustrations and well conducted experiments1 excited universal attention and unbounded applause4 ,compliments1 invitations1 and presents were showered upon him in abundance from all quarters2 his society was courted by all1 and all appeared proud of his acquaintance4 ,he usually wrote his lecture the day before he delivered it1 on this day dining in his own room1 generally on fish4 ,his manner in speaking was very animated1 but natural4 ,he believed in enthusiasm4 ,he said1 ,great powers have never been exerted independent of strong feelings4 ,the rapid arrangement of ideas from their various analogies to the equally rapid comparisons of these analogies1 with facts uniformly occurring during the progress of discovery1 have existed only in those minds where the agency of strong and various motives is perceived--of motives modifying each other1 mingling with each other1 and producing that fever of emotion which is the joy of existence and the consciousness of life4 ,coleridge used to say1 ,i attend ,davy's lectures to increase my stock of metaphors4 ,in the spacious and well supplied laboratory of the ,institution1 in making his experiments1 says his brother1 his zeal amounted to enthusiasm1 which he more or less imparted to those around him4 ,with cheerful voice and countenance1 and a hand as ready to manipulate as his mind was quick to contrive1 he was indefatigable in his exertions4 ,he was delighted with success1 but not discouraged by failure2 and he bore failures and accidents in experiments with a patience and forbearance1 even when owing to the awkwardness of assistants1 which could hardly have been expected from a person of his ardent temperament4 ,he was very happy in these years of work4 ,says his brother3 ,in going to bed1 and rising1 and sometimes in the dead of night1 ,i used to hear him1 in a loud voice1 reciting favorite passages in prose or verse1 or declaiming some composition of his own1 or humming some angler's song4 ,he spent his evenings often in society1 but wrote to a friend concerning himself3 ,be not alarmed1 my dear friend1 as to the effect of worldly society on my mind4444 ,there are in the intellectual being of all men paramount elements1--certain habits and passions that cannot change4 ,i am a lover of nature with an ungratified imagination4 ,i shall continue to search for untasted charms1 for hidden beauties4 ,my real1 my waking existence is amongst the objects of scientific research4 ,common amusements and enjoyments are necessary to me only as dreams to interrupt the flow of thoughts too nearly analogous to enlighten and vivify4 ,during his vacations he explored most parts of ,great ,britain1 the ,hebrides1 and ,ireland1 studying the geological structure1 collecting agricultural knowledge1 and making sketches4 ,he never hesitated to ask questions1 and often the miners and farmers thought they had never seen a person so inquisitive4 ,in his early years at the ,institution he was asked to investigate astringent vegetables in connection with tanning4 ,he entered the work with his usual ardor2 visited tan-yards1 and made the acquaintance of practical farmers4 ,in #ahjb he began to deliver1 at the request of the ,board of ,agriculture1 a course of lectures1 ,on the ,connection of ,chemistry with ,vegetable ,physiology4 ,he had made himself acquainted with the different kinds of soil and the various methods of agriculture4 ,for ten years he delivered these lectures at the meetings of the ,board4 ,they were published in book form1 and translated into almost every ,european language4 ,we feel grateful1 said the ,edinburgh ,review1 for his having thus suspended for a time the labors of original investigation1 in order to apply the principles and discoveries of his favorite science to the illustration and improvement of an art which1 above all others1 ministers to the wants and comforts of man4 ,he now continued his work with the voltaic pile or battery4 ,if water could be decomposed by it1 why not some substances heretofore regarded as simple or elementary bodies8 ,in ,october1 #ahjf1 he discovered that potash and soda can be decomposed1 with potassium and sodium as resultant bases4 ,when he saw the minute globules of potassium burst through the crust of potash1 and take fire as they entered the atmosphere1 he is said to have bounded about the room in ecstatic delight1 some time elapsing before he could compose himself sufficiently to go on with his experiment4 ,he had worked so constantly that he became very ill1 and for several weeks his life was despaired of4 ,all ,london was agitated over the expected death of the young chemist4 ,bulletins were prepared by the physicians morning1 noon1 and night1 for the scores who came to ask concerning him4 ,when he had recovered and returned to his work1 the ,royal ,institution provided him with a voltaic battery of six hundred double plates of four inches square1 four times as powerful as any that had been constructed1 and not long after1 one of two thousand plates4 ,scientific papers were constantly coming from his pen4 ,he soon decomposed boracic acid with the battery4 ,by heating boron in oxygen1 it burnt1 and was reconverted into boracic acid4 ,in his experiments with muriatic acid gas he found chlorine to be a simple substance1 and discovered euchlorine1 a compound of chlorine and oxygen4 ,he had already been made a fellow of the ,royal ,society at twenty-five1 and at twenty-nine one of the secretaries4 ,his lectures were crowded1 as ever1 by a thousand people4 ,the ,dublin ,society now invited him to give courses of lectures in #ahaj and #ahaa1 which he did1 ticket-holders each paying ten dollars for a course4 ,so difficult was it to gain admission to the lectures that many offered from fifty to a hundred dollars for a course ticket6 ,he writes these facts to his mother1 and adds1 ,this is merely for your eye3 it may please you to know that your son is not unpopular or useless4 ,every person here1 from the highest to the lowest1 shows me every attention and kindness4 ,i shall come to see you as soon as ,i can4 ,i hear with infinite delight of your health1 and ,i hope ,heaven will continue to preserve and bless a mother who deserves so well of her children4 ,trinity ,college1 ,dublin1 conferred upon him the degree of ,doctor of ,civil ,law4 ,cuvier said of him3 ,davy1 not yet thirty-two1 in the opinion of all who could judge of such labors1 held the first rank among the chemists of this or of any other age4 ,the ,national ,institute of ,france had awarded him the prize given by ,napoleon to the greatest discovery by the means of galvanism4 ,and yet all this fame and honor had been won by incessant labor4 ,he writes to his mother3 ,at present1 except when ,i resolve to be idle for health's sake1 ,i devote every moment to labors which ,i hope will not be wholly ineffectual in benefiting society1 and which will not be wholly inglorious for my country hereafter2 and the feeling of this is the reward which will continue to keep me employed4 ,his brother ,john1 who had been for three years at the ,royal ,institution1 now went to ,edinburgh to study medicine4 ,davy writes him3 ,let no difficulties alarm you1 you may be what you please4 ,trust me1 ,i know what your powers are4 ,preserve the dignity of your mind1 and the purity of your moral conduct4 ,you set sail with a fair wind on the ocean of life4 ,you have great talents1 good feelings1 and an unbroken and an uncorrupted spirit4 ,move straight forward on to moral and intellectual excellence4 ,let no example induce you to violate decorum1--no ridicule prevent you from guarding against sensuality or vice4 ,live in such a way that you can always say1 the whole world may know what ,i am doing4 ,in #ahab ,davy was knighted by the ,prince ,regent4 ,only thirty-three1 and he had come to great renown6 ,and now an important change was to come into his life4 ,during the preceding year he had become acquainted with ,mrs4 ,appreece1 towards whom esteem gradually ripened into affection4 ,when their marriage had been decided upon1 he wrote his mother3 ,i am the happiest of men1 in the hope of a union with a woman equally distinguished for virtues1 talents1 and accomplishments4444 ,you1 ,i am sure1 will sympathize in my happiness4 ,i believe ,i should never have married but for this charming woman1 whose views and whose tastes coincide with my own1 and who is eminently qualified to promote my best efforts and objects in life4 ,to his brother he writes3 ,i have been very miserable4 ,the lady whom ,i love best of any human beings has been very ill4 ,she is now well1 and ,i am happy4 ,mrs4 ,appreece has consented to marry me3 and when the event takes place ,i shall not envy kings1 princes1 or potentates4444 ,i am going to be married to-morrow2 and ,i have a fair prospect of happiness1 with the most amiable and intellectual woman ,i have ever known4 ,how love idealizes all things1 makes a new heaven and a new earth for us6 ,he found in her the two needed qualities for happiness2 amiability1 without which the life of a man is usually made wretched1 and intellectuality1 without which a cultivated man can have little companionship in a wife4 ,the marriage seems to have been a happy one1 for he writes to ,john later3 ,lady ,d4 is a noble creature1 and every day adds to my contentment by the powers of her understanding1 and her amiable and delightful tones of feeling4 ,like the wife of ,herschel1 she was a wealthy widow1 so that after his marriage ,davy was enabled to travel1 and devote himself wholly to original investigation4 ,he resigned his professorship at the ,royal ,institution after twelve most useful years4 ,his ,elements of ,chemical ,philosophy was now published1 and dedicated to ,lady ,davy4 ,after a pleasure trip with his wife to the highlands of ,scotland1 taking his portable chemical apparatus with him for study1 they took a journey to ,france1 ,italy1 ,sicily1 and ,germany1 accompanied by ,mr4 ,michael ,faraday1 afterward so celebrated1 then his assistant in experiments and writing4 ,in ,paris1 where he spent two months1 he discovered that iodine is a simple substance1 analogous to chlorine4 ,here he became the intimate friend of many distinguished men4 ,humboldt1 he said1 was one of the most agreeable men ,i have ever known2 social1 modest1 full of intelligence1 with facilities of every kind2 almost too fluent in conversation4 ,his travels display his spirit of enterprise4 ,his works are monuments of the variety of his knowledge and resources4 ,gay-,lussac he placed at the head of the living chemists of ,france4 ,at ,fontainebleau1 on the banks of the ,rhone1 at ,mont ,blanc1 at ,vaucluse1 ,sir ,humphrey's artistic nature voiced itself in song4 ,he had the poet's temperament1 intense1 quick1 earnest1 ardent1 aspiring4 ,he loved science1 and paid her homage2 he loved poetry1 and made her his rest and solace and soul-companion4 ,at ,florence he studied the diamond1 and found it merely crystallized carbon4 ,at ,rome he met ,canova1 who showed him great attention1 and to whom he wrote this sonnet3-- ,thou wast a light of brightness in an age ,when ,italy was in the night of art3 ,she was thy country2 but the world thy stage1 ,on which thou actedst thy creative part4 ,blameless thy life--thy manners1 playful1 mild1 ,master in art1 but ,nature's simplest child4 ,phidias of ,rome6 like him thou stand'st sublime3 ,and after artists shall essay to climb ,to that high temple where thou dwell'st alone1 ,amidst the trophies thou from time hast won4 ,generous to all1 but most to rising merit2 ,by nobler praise awakening the spirit2 ,yet all unconscious of the eternal fame1 ,the light of glory circling round thy name6 ,at ,milan he met ,volta1 nearly seventy years old4 ,his conversation was not brilliant1 he said2 his views rather limited1 but marking great ingenuity4 ,his manners were perfectly simple4 ,around ,naples he investigated the phenomena of volcanic eruptions4 ,on his return to ,london they bought a house in ,grosvenor ,square4 ,he now published several papers3 ,experiments and ,observations on the ,colors used in ,painting by the ,ancients2 ,experiments on a ,solid ,compound of ,iodine and ,oxygen1 and on its ,chemical ,agencies2 ,action of ,acids on the ,salts usually called the ,hyper-oxymuriates1 and on the ,gases produced from them4 ,all his life1 besides his ambition to be great1 he desired to aid his fellow-men1 and in the year #ahae he made a discovery which placed him among the benefactors of the race4 ,in #ahab a terrible explosion of gas had taken place in a mine1 causing the death of nearly a hundred men4 ,the mine was on fire1 and the mouth had to be closed1 thus bringing sure death to the poor creatures within4 ,such accidents were so frequent1 that a committee of mine proprietors visited the great chemist1 to see if science could suggest a remedy4 ,he at once visited several mines1 investigated fire-damp1 and found it to be light carburetted hydrogen4 ,after a long and careful series of experiments through several months1 he invented the safety-lamp1 a cage of wire gauze1 which actually made prisoner the flame of the fire-damp1 and in its prison consumed it2 and whilst it confined the dangerous explosive flame1 it permitted air to pass and light to escape2 and though1 from the combustion of the fire-damp1 the cage might become red hot1 yet still it acted the part of a safety-lamp4 ,sir ,humphrey at thirty-seven had immortalized himself4 ,at a public dinner given in his honor at ,newcastle1 a service of plate worth over twelve thousand dollars was presented to him4 ,after his death this service was given to the ,royal ,society by his widow1 to be sold1 and the proceeds applied to the encouragement of science4 ,emperor ,alexander of ,russia sent him a splendid silver-gilt vase1 with a personal letter2 his own sovereign conferred a baronetcy upon him4 ,when ,davy was urged by some friends to take out a patent upon the safety-lamp1 and thus make five or ten thousand a year for himself1 he said1 ,i never thought of such a thing3 my sole object was to serve the cause of humanity2 and if ,i have succeeded1 ,i am amply rewarded in the gratifying reflection of having done so4 ,i have enough for all my views and purposes2 more wealth could not increase either my fame or my happiness4 ,it might undoubtedly enable me to put four horses to my carriage2 but what would it avail me to have it said that ,sir ,humphrey drives his carriage and four8 ,he said later of his discovery of the safety-lamp3 ,i value it more than anything ,i ever did3 it was the result of a great deal of investigation and labor2 but if my directions be attended to1 it will save the lives of thousands of poor men4 ,i was never more affected than by a written address which ,i received from the working colliers when ,i was in the ,north1 thanking me on behalf of themselves and their families for the preservation of their lives4 ,sir ,humphrey used to say3 ,whoever wishes to enjoy peace1 and is gifted with great talents1 must labor for posterity4 ,in doing this he enjoys all the pleasures of intellectual labor1 and all the desire arising from protracted hope4 ,he feels no envy nor jealousy2 his mark is too far distant to be seen by short-sighted malevolence1 and therefore it is never aimed at4444 ,to raise a chestnut on the mountain1 or a palm in the plain1 which may afford shade1 shelter1 and fruit for generations yet unborn1 and which1 if they have once fixed their roots1 require no culture1 is better than to raise annual flowers in a garden1 which must be watered daily1 and in which a cold wind may chill or too ardent a sunshine may dry4444 ,the best faculties of man are employed for futurity3 speaking is better than acting1 writing is better than speaking4 ,in the spring of #ahah he took his second continental journey with his wife1 going through ,austria1 ,germany1 and ,italy4 ,commissioned by his king1 he made some researches on ,herculaneum manuscripts4 ,on his return to ,england he was made ,president of the ,royal ,society1 the position so ably filled by ,sir ,isaac ,newton4 ,every ,saturday evening1 poets1 artists1 and men of science gathered at his receptions4 ,this office he held for seven years1 till his declining health compelled his resignation4 ,in ,december1 #ahba1 ,davy paid a visit to his old home in ,penzance1 and saw his mother for the last time before her death4 ,a public dinner was given him by his townsmen1 which honor he greatly appreciated4 ,he was no longer the poor lad among them4 ,every heart1 tongue1 and eye were as one to do honor to him who had not only rendered the name of their town famous and imperishable as science itself1 but who had added lustre to the intellectual character of their country4 ,from year to year he continued his experiments4 ,urged by the commissioners of the navy to remedy the corrosion of copper sheathing on vessels by sea water1 he succeeded in rendering the copper negatively electrical by small pieces of tin1 zinc1 or iron nails4 ,shells and seaweeds adhered to the non-corroded surface1 but the principle of galvanic protection has been applied to various important uses4 ,in #ahbd1 ,sir ,humphrey took a journey to ,norway1 ,sweden1 and ,denmark1 visiting ,berzelius of ,sweden1 one of the great ornaments of the age1 he said1 and ,oersted of ,denmark1 distinguished for his discovery of electro-magnetism4 ,towards the close of #ahbf1 when he was only forty-eight1 ,davy was attacked by paralysis in the right side1 having suffered for a year with numbness and pain in his right arm4 ,during his confinement in his room1 he corrected the proof sheets of his ,discourses to the ,royal ,society1 published in ,january1 #ahbg4 ,in this year1 having improved1 he went through ,france1 ,italy1 and ,switzerland1 hunting and fishing as in his boyhood1 and writing ,salmonia1 or ,days of ,fly ,fishing1 giving descriptions of his journey and his observations on natural history4 ,in the spring of #ahbh1 he made another journey1 to ,southern ,austria1 spending the winter in ,italy1 and writing his ,consolation in ,travel1 which ,cuvier called the work of a dying ,plato4 ,i was desirous1 he says1 of again passing some time in these scenes1 in the hope of reestablishing a broken constitution2 and though this hope was a feeble one1 yet1 at least1 ,i expected to spend a few of the last days of life more tranquilly and more agreeably than in the metropolis of my own country4 ,nature never deceives us4 ,the rocks1 the mountains1 the streams1 always speak the same language4 ,a shower of snow may hide the verdant woods in spring2 a thunder storm may render the blue limpid streams foul and turbulent3 but these effects are rare and transient2 in a few hours1 or at least days1 all the sources of beauty are renovated2 and ,nature affords no continued trains of misfortunes and miseries1 such as depend upon the constitution of humanity1--no hopes forever blighted in the bud1--no beings full of life1 beauty1 and promise1 taken from us in the prime of youth4 ,her fruits are all balmy1 bright1 and sweet2 she affords none of those blighted ones so common in the life of man1 and so like the fabled apples of the ,dead ,sea1--fresh and beautiful to the sight1 but1 when tasted1 full of bitterness and ashes4 ,from ,rome he writes to a friend1 a year later1 in the spring of #ahbi3 ,i am here wearing away the winter1--a ruin amongst ruins6444 ,i fight against sickness and fate1 believing ,i have still duties to perform1 and that even my illness is connected in some way with my being made useful to my fellow-creatures4 ,i have this conviction full on my mind1 that intellectual beings spring from the same breath of infinite intelligence1 and return to it again1 but by different courses4 ,like rivers born amidst the clouds of heaven1 and lost in the deep and eternal ocean1--some in youth1 rapid and short-lived torrents2 some in manhood1 powerful and copious rivers2 and some in age1 by a winding and slow course1 half lost in their career1 and making their exit by many sandy and shallow mouths4 ,davy was destined to go back to the ,infinite ,intelligence in manhood1 a powerful and copious river1 however much he fought against sickness and fate4 ,on ,february #bc1 #ahbi1 he dictated a letter to his brother ,john3 ,i am dying from a severe attack of palsy1 which has seized the whole body1 with the exception of the intellectual organ4 ,he added in his own hand1 just legible1 ,come as quickly as possible4 ,when the brother arrived1 and was overcome with grief1 ,sir ,humphrey received him with a cheerful smile1 and bade him not to grieve1 but consider the event like a philosopher4 ,he talked more earnestly than ever1 and his mind seemed all aglow as with the brilliancy of a setting sun4 ,at one time he was so near death1 that he said he had gone through the whole process of dying1 and that when he awoke he had difficulty in convincing himself that he was in his earthly existence4 ,reviving somewhat1 they journeyed from ,italy to ,geneva1 by slow and easy travel1 arriving ,may #bh1 #ahbi4 ,in the night1 at half-past two1 ,sir ,humphrey was taken very ill1 and died almost immediately4 ,he was buried ,june #a1 in the cemetery outside the walls of the city1 having requested to be interred where he died1 without any display4 ,the grave is marked by a simple monument erected by his wife4 ,she also founded a prize in his honor1 to be given every two years1 for the most original and important discovery in chemical science4 ,only fifty1 and his work finished1--no not finished1--for his books and his discoveries1 his character1 with its earnest perseverance1 its tenderness1 its sympathy1 its noble aspirations1 and its helpfulness to mankind1 will live forever6 ,,john ,,james ,,audubon4 ,illustration3 ,,john ,,james ,,audubon4 ,the problem why certain men and women come to eminence1 and why others1 with apparently as much ability1 remain forever in obscurity1 is an interesting one to solve4 ,most persons desire fame2 most persons desire wealth2 but1 for one reason or another1 thousands fail to achieve what they desire4 ,they lack either singleness of aim1 or adequate perseverance1 or determined will1 or sound judgment1 or1 instead of mastering circumstances1 they permit circumstances to master them4 ,it is so easy to be turned aside in life by trivial matters2 to be interested in our neighbor's wedding1 or our neighbor's profits and losses4 ,those who oversee the affairs of others rarely oversee their own4 ,men become very busy over clubs and pastimes2 women1 over social gatherings and appearance1 and die with little accomplished4 ,audubon's life furnishes a unique illustration of the result of having a definite purpose1 and bending all one's energies to it1 till success is attained4 ,john ,james ,audubon was born at ,new ,orleans1 ,may #d1 #aghj1 in the land of orange groves and magnolias1 of birds and sunshine4 ,his grandfather was a poor fisherman of ,la ,vendee1 ,france1 with twenty-one children4 ,unable to support them1 they made their way in life as best they could4 ,when ,john's father was twelve years old1 the fisherman gave him a shirt1 a dress of warm clothing1 his blessing1 and a cane1 and sent him out to seek his fortune4 ,he went to ,nantes1 shipped before the mast2 at twenty-one commanded a vessel1 and at twenty-five was owner and captain of a small craft4 ,going to ,st4 ,domingo1 ,west ,indies1 he purchased a small estate4 ,ambitious1 as are all persons who succeed1 he soon secured an appointment from the ,governor of ,st4 ,domingo1 returned to ,france1 made the acquaintance of influential men1 and obtained an appointment in the ,imperial navy1 with the command of a small vessel of war4 ,he had what all persons need1 true self-appreciation2 quite another quality from self-conceit4 ,to believe that we can do things1 having kept our characters such that we respect ourselves1 is a strong indication that we shall prosper if we make the attempt4 ,frequently visiting ,america in his ship1 ,audubon purchased land in ,louisiana1 ,virginia1 and ,pennsylvania4 ,in the former ,state he married a lady of ,spanish extraction1 ,anne ,moynette1 both beautiful and wealthy4 ,of their three sons and one daughter1 ,john ,james was the youngest son4 ,the mother was not spared to rear the distinguished naturalist1 but perished a few years after his birth1 in the insurrection of the colored people of ,st4 ,domingo4 ,the father1 having purchased a beautiful estate on the ,loire1 nine miles from ,nantes1 married a second time1 a woman who proved a most indulgent mother to her husband's children4 ,having none of her own1 she humored ,john in every way1 and allowed him to gather moss1 curious stones1 birds' nests1--indeed1 everything which belongs to natural history1--to his heart's content4 ,on the return of ,commodore ,audubon to ,france1 finding that the boy was following the bent of his own mind1 to the neglect of a solid education1 in spite of the tears and entreaties of his wife1 he sent him away to school4 ,for a year ,john was obliged to apply himself closely to mathematics1 taking a ramble to collect specimens whenever it was possible4 ,he studied drawing under the celebrated painter ,david1 and learned to play well on the violin1 flute1 flageolet1 and guitar4 ,his father had hoped that he would become a soldier under ,napoleon1 but a lad who could lie on his back under a tree for three weeks1 and watch with a telescope the habits of some little gray birds of the color of the bark of the tree1 would not care much for the smoke and din of battle4 ,he was therefore sent to ,america1 to look after his father's property4 ,with a heavy heart the youth said good-by to ,france1 where he had already sketched two hundred varieties of birds from life4 ,arriving in ,new ,york1 he became ill of yellow fever1 and was carried to the home of two ,quaker ladies in ,morristown1 whose kindness doubtless saved his life4 ,when he had recovered1 he went to his father's farm at ,mill ,grove1 near the ,schuylkill ,falls1 ,pennsylvania1 and found1 as he said1 a blessed spot4 ,he was free1 now1 to study natural history2 no more mathematics2 no more urging to become a soldier4 ,he was delighted with the mill attached to the property1 and with the pewees who built their nests near by4 ,hunting1 fishing1 and drawing occupied my every moment1 he says2 cares ,i knew not1 and cared nothing for them4 ,an ,english gentleman1 ,william ,bakewell1 descended from the ,peverils of ,derbyshire1 rendered historical by ,scott's novel ,peveril of the ,peak1 owned the adjoining property4 ,audubon1 being ,french1 did not court the acquaintance of the ,englishman1 indeed avoided him1 till one day1 as he was following some grouse down the creek in winter1 he met ,mr4 ,bakewell4 ,i was struck with the kind politeness of his manners1 says ,audubon1 and found him a most expert marksman1 and entered into conversation4 ,i admired the beauty of his well trained dogs1 and finally promised to call upon him and his family4 ,well do ,i recollect the morning1 and may it please ,god may ,i never forget it1 when for the first time ,i entered the ,bakewell household4 ,it happened that ,mr4 ,bakewell was from home4 ,i was shown into a parlor1 where only one young lady was snugly seated at work1 with her back turned towards the fire4 ,she rose on my entrance1 offered me a seat1 and assured me of the gratification her father would feel on his return2 which1 she added with a smile1 would be in a few minutes1 as she would send a servant after him4 ,other ruddy cheeks made their appearance1 but1 like spirits gay1 vanished from my sight4 ,talking and working1 the young lady who remained made the time pass pleasantly enough1 and to me especially so4 ,it was she1 my dear ,lucy ,bakewell1 who afterwards became my wife1 and the mother of my children4 ,mr4 ,bakewell soon returned1 and lunch was provided before leaving on a shooting expedition4 ,lucy rose from her seat a second time1 and her form1 to which ,i had before paid little attention1 seemed radiant with beauty1 and my heart and eyes followed her every step4 ,the repast being over1 guns and dogs were provided1 and as we left ,i was pleased to believe that ,lucy looked upon me as a not very strange animal4 ,bowing to her1 ,i felt1 ,i knew not why1 that ,i was at least not indifferent to her4 ,thus was begun a beautiful affection that ran like a thread of gold through the darkness and light of two struggling lives4 ,the friendship increased as the months went by1 for the youth1 alone in a strange country1 devoted to his foster-mother1 needed a woman's love and tenderness to cheer him4 ,lucy ,bakewell taught ,audubon ,english1 and he in return gave her drawing lessons4 ,at ,mill ,grove the weeks passed pleasantly1--is not the world always beautiful when we love somebody8 ,audubon says in his journal3 ,i had no vices2 but was thoughtless1 pensive1 loving1 fond of shooting1 fishing1 and riding1 and had a passion for raising all sorts of fowls1 which sources of interest and amusement fully occupied my time4444 ,i ate no butcher's meat1 lived chiefly on fruits1 vegetables1 and fish1 and never drank a glass of spirits or wine until my wedding day4 ,to this ,i attribute my continual good health1 endurance1 and an iron constitution4 ,here at ,mill ,grove1 while yet a boy1 he planned his great work1 the ,birds of ,america1 their habits1 and a description of them4 ,this one idea dominated ,audubon's life4 ,through poverty and suffering1 this one desire was ever before him4 ,it is well to plan early in life what we wish to do1 and then do it4 ,one writer has well said of ,audubon3 ,for sixty years or more he followed1 with more than religious devotion1 a beautiful and devoted pursuit1 enlarging its boundaries by his discoveries1 and illustrating its objects by his art4 ,in all climates and in all weathers2 scorched by burning suns1 drenched by piercing rains1 frozen by the fiercest colds3 now diving fearlessly into the densest forest1 now wandering alone over the most savage regions2 in perils1 in difficulties1 and in doubts2 with no companion to cheer his way1 far from the smiles and applause of society2 listening only to the sweet music of birds1 or to the sweeter music of his own thoughts1 he faithfully kept his path4 ,the records of man's life contain few nobler examples of strength of purpose and indefatigable energy4 ,led on solely by his pure1 lofty1 kindling enthusiasm1 no thirst for wealth1 no desire of distinction1 no restless ambition of eccentric character1 could have induced him to undergo as many sacrifices1 or sustained him under so many trials4 ,higher principles and worthier motives alone enabled him to meet such discouragements and accomplish such miracles of achievement4 ,he has enlarged and enriched the domains of a pleasing and useful science2 he has revealed to us the existence of many species of birds before unknown2 he has given us more accurate information of the forms and habits of those that were known2 he has corrected the blunders of his predecessors2 and he has imparted to the study of natural history the grace and fascination of romance4 ,at ,mill ,grove he came near losing his life1 on a duck-shooting expedition1 by falling through an air hole in the ice4 ,it was three months before he recovered4 ,at this time a partner1 tutor1 and monitor1 ,da ,costa1 whom ,audubon's father had sent over to superintend a lead-mine enterprise at ,mill ,grove1 refused to give money to the son and objected to his marrying ,lucy ,bakewell4 ,resenting the dictation of ,da ,costa1 young ,audubon determined to go to ,france and lay the matter before his father4 ,da ,costa would give him no money1 but a letter of credit upon an agent in ,new ,york4 ,the youth1 nothing daunted1 walked all the way to ,new ,york1 was refused the money by the agent1 who hinted that the lad should be seized and shipped to ,china1 borrowed his passage money1 went to ,france1 caused the removal of ,da ,costa1 and obtained his father's consent to his marriage4 ,for a year he resided at ,nantes1 shooting1 stuffing birds1 and drawing for his beloved book4 ,then all ,frenchmen being liable to conscription under ,napoleon1 the ,commodore obtained leave for his son to return to ,america4 ,once again he was at his dear ,mill ,grove4 ,in his room the walls were festooned with all sorts of birds' eggs1 carefully blown out and strung on a thread4 ,the chimney piece was covered with stuffed squirrels1 raccoons1 and opossums1 and the shelves around were likewise crowded with specimens1 among which were fishes1 frogs1 snakes1 lizards and other reptiles4 ,lucy's father1 concluding that the study of natural history might not bring pecuniary support for his daughter1 suggested to ,audubon that he obtain some knowledge of commercial pursuits4 ,love seldom asks about ways and means2 too seldom1 in fact1 for subsequent happiness4 ,audubon entered the counting-house of ,mr4 ,benjamin ,bakewell of ,new ,york1 and soon lost some hundreds of pounds by a bad speculation in indigo4 ,the drying of bird's skins in his rooms was so disagreeable to his neighbors that a message was sent him1 through a constable1 insisting on his abating the nuisance6 ,finance did not seem the specialty of the young man1 and he returned to ,mill ,grove4 ,dear as the place was to him1 he sold it1 invested the capital in goods1 married ,lucy ,bakewell1 ,april #h1 #ahjh1 when he was twenty-eight years old1 and started for the ,west4 ,they were twelve days in sailing down the ,ohio ,river in a flat-bottomed float1 called an ark4 ,he engaged in trade at ,louisville1 and the young couple were extremely happy4 ,fortunate it was that they had these few months of comfort1 for hardship was soon to test their affection4 ,the war of #ahab so crippled business that he and his partner decided to go to ,hendersonville1 while ,lucy and her infant son went home to her father for a year4 ,if ,mr4 ,bakewell ever regretted the choice which his daughter had made1 she did not1 and never failed1 when days were darkest1 to encourage him to write and win renown4 ,when all others bemoaned his lack of business success1 and his devotion to a non-paying pursuit1 she alone was his comforter1 and was willing to suffer poverty if thus his great work might be done4 ,there was no success at ,hendersonville1 and the goods were taken to ,st4 ,genevieve4 ,here the partner married1 and ,audubon sold his interest to him1 purchased a horse1 and started across the country to see his wife1 who had meantime come back from ,pennsylvania to ,hendersonville1 ,ky4 ,in this trip he came near losing his life4 ,he says3 ,i found myself obliged to cross one of the wild prairies which1 in that portion of the ,united ,states1 vary the appearance of the country4 ,the weather was fine1 all around me was as fresh and blooming as if it had just issued from the bosom of nature4 ,my knapsack1 my gun1 and my dog were all ,i had for baggage and company4 ,but although well moccasined1 ,i moved slowly along1 attracted by the brilliancy of the flowers1 and the gambols of the fawns around their dams1 to all appearance as thoughtless of danger as ,i felt myself4 ,after travelling all day1 he reached a log cabin4 ,presenting myself at the door1 ,i asked the tall figure1 which proved to be a woman1 if ,i might take shelter under her roof for the night4 ,her voice was gruff1 and her dress negligently thrown about her4 ,she answered in the affirmative4 ,i walked in1 took a wooden stool1 and quietly seated myself by the fire4 ,the next object that attracted my notice was a finely formed young ,indian1 resting his head between his hands1 with his elbows on his knees4 ,a long bow rested against the log wall near him1 while a quantity of arrows and two or three raccoon skins lay at his feet4 ,he moved not2 he apparently breathed not4 ,accustomed to the habits of the ,indians1 and knowing that they pay little attention to the approach of civilized strangers1 ,i addressed him in ,french1--a language not unfrequently partially known to the people of that neighborhood4 ,he raised his head1 pointed to one of his eyes with his finger1 and gave me a significant glance with the other2 his face was covered with blood4 ,the fact was1 that an hour before this1 as he was in the act of discharging an arrow at a raccoon in the top of a tree1 the arrow had split upon the cord1 and sprung back with such violence into his right eye as to destroy it forever4 ,feeling hungry1 ,i inquired what sort of fare ,i might expect4 ,such a thing as a bed was not to be seen2 but many large1 untanned buffalo hides lay piled in a corner4 ,i drew a time-piece from my pocket1 and told the woman that it was late1 and that ,i was fatigued4 ,she espied my watch1 the richness of which seemed to operate on her feelings with electric quickness4 ,she told me there was plenty of venison and jerked buffalo meat1 and that on removing the ashes ,i should find a cake4 ,but my watch had struck her fancy1 and her curiosity had to be gratified by an immediate sight of it4 ,i took off the gold chain which secured it around my neck1 and presented it to her4 ,she was all ecstasy1 spoke of its beauty1 asked me its value1 and put the chain round her brawny neck1 saying how happy the possession of such a watch would make her4 ,thoughtless1 and1 as ,i fancied myself1 in so retired a spot1 secure1 ,i paid little attention to her talk or her movements4 ,i helped my dog to a good supper of venison1 and was not long in satisfying the demands of my own appetite4 ,the ,indian rose from his seat as if in extreme suffering4 ,he passed and repassed me several times1 and once pinched me on the side so violently1 that the pain nearly brought forth an exclamation of anger4 ,i looked at him2 his eye met mine1 but his look was so forbidding that it struck a chill into the more nervous part of my system4 ,he again seated himself1 drew his butcher-knife from its greasy scabbard1 examined its edge1 as ,i would do that of a razor suspected dull1 replaced it1 and1 again taking his tomahawk from his back filled the pipe of it with tobacco1 and sent me expressive glances whenever our hostess chanced to have her back towards us4 ,audubon now perceived his danger4 ,i asked the woman for my watch1 wound it up1 and1 under the pretence of wishing to see how the weather might probably be on the morrow1 took up my gun1 and walked out of the cabin4 ,i slipped a ball into each barrel1 scraped the edges of my flints1 renewed the primings1 and1 returning to the hut1 gave a favorable account of my observations4 ,i took a few bear-skins1 made a pallet of them1 and1 calling my faithful dog to my side1 lay down1 with my gun close to my body1 and in a few minutes was1 to all appearance1 fast asleep4 ,soon two young1 stalwart ,indians arrived at the cabin1 bearing a dead stag on a pole4 ,these were the ,indian woman's sons4 ,she and they drank whiskey1 and then took a large carving-knife to a grindstone1 and sharpened it4 ,i saw her pour the water on the turning machine1 says ,audubon1 and watched her working away with the dangerous instrument1 until the cold sweat covered every part of my body1 in despite of my determination to defend myself to the last4 ,her task finished1 she walked to her reeling sons1 and said1 ',there1 that'll soon settle him6 ,boys1 kill you--and then for the watch6' ,just at this moment the door suddenly opened1 and two travellers entered4 ,the mother and her sons were bound1 and ,audubon's life was saved4 ,he arrived at last at ,hendersonville1 and soon went into business with a brother-in-law at ,new ,orleans4 ,he embarked all the fortune at his disposal1 and lost it all4 ,his father had already died1 leaving ,audubon an estate in ,france1 and seventeen thousand dollars deposited with a merchant in ,richmond1 ,va4 ,the merchant died insolvent1 and ,audubon never received a dollar4 ,he made no effort to possess the property in ,france1 and years afterwards it was transferred to his sister ,rosa4 ,he now began to feel anxious about the future4 ,a second son1 ,john1 had been born to him1 and he must try once more to earn in business4 ,gathering a few hundred dollars1 he purchased some goods in ,louisville1 and returned to ,hendersonville4 ,a former partner joined him1 advised erecting a steam mill1 which was done4 ,several men invested capital in the enterprise1 and a complete failure resulted4 ,audubon gave up all the property he possessed to his creditors1 and left ,hendersonville with his sick wife1 his gun1 his dog1 and his drawings4 ,they reached ,louisville1 and were kindly received by a relative4 ,how could he support his family8 ,the outlook was not hopeful4 ,he would try making crayon portraits4 ,he succeeded so well that a farmer came in the middle of the night to request a picture of his mother before she died1 and the work was done by candle-light4 ,invited to ,cincinnati to become curator of the museum1 ,audubon accepted1 and opened a drawing-school in that city4 ,but very little money resulted1 and he resolved to seek a new field of labor4 ,getting letters of recommendation from ,general1 afterwards ,president1 ,harrison1 and from ,henry ,clay1 he started1 ,october #ab1 #ahbj1 for ,new ,orleans4 ,stopping for a time at ,natchez1 he and a companion found themselves destitute of shoes4 ,going to a shoemaker1 he asked to sketch a crayon portrait of himself and his wife in return for two pairs of boots4 ,the offer was accepted1 and ,audubon and his friend found themselves again in suitable condition for travelling4 ,how different all this from the former easy life at ,mill ,grove6 ,arriving at ,new ,orleans1 what little money he possessed was stolen1 he could find no work1 and he was obliged to live on the boat in which he had come thither4 ,he writes in his journal3 ,time passed sadly in seeking ineffectually for employment4 ,i was fortunate in making a hit with the portrait of a well known citizen of ,new ,orleans4 ,i showed it to the public2 it made a favorable impression1 and ,i obtained several patrons4 ,a few orders for portraits relieved my necessities1 and1 continuing my work of painting birds1 the time passed more pleasantly4 ,he was always planning for wider opportunities to study birds for his book4 ,in the midst of his dire poverty1 he did not forget this4 ,now he hoped to join the expedition which surveyed the boundary line of the territory ceded to the ,united ,states by ,spain1 and he says1 ,saw nothing but hundreds of new birds in imagination within range of my gun4 ,but this1 like other plans1 came to naught1 for poverty binds with strong cords1 and it requires almost superhuman strength to break them4 ,at last1 in the family of ,mrs4 ,perrie1 who owned a plantation at ,bayou ,sara1 in ,louisiana1 he obtained a situation4 ,he was to teach drawing to her daughter for sixty dollars a month1 having his afternoons for his work4 ,her desire was1 under the guise of employment1 to help the poor naturalist4 ,after fourteen months since leaving ,cincinnati1 during which time1 he says1 ,i have finished sixty-two drawing of birds and plants1 three quadrupeds1 two snakes1 fifty portraits of all sorts1 and have subsisted by my humble talents1 not having had a dollar when ,i started1 he sent for his family to come to him4 ,a house was rented on ,dauphine ,street1 at seventeen dollars a month4 ,now if they starved1 they would starve together4 ,being asked to join in painting a panorama of the city1 he said1 ,my birds1 my beloved birds of ,america1 occupy all my time1 and nearly all my thoughts1 and ,i do not wish to see any other perspective than the last specimen of these drawings4 ,he was now forty-two1 and life was none too long1 at the best4 ,no wonder he was anxious about his book4 ,during the first months of #ahbb1 after his family came1 there are no records of his life4 ,he was too poor to buy a journal4 ,mrs4 ,audubon had found a situation as governess in a family4 ,audubon was depressed in spirits1 and poor health was the result4 ,if some person with wealth had only been wise enough to have helped the man of talent6 ,we build colleges and churches1 and this is well2 but often neglect the brilliant man or woman near our own door1 who might bless the world4 ,brains do not always win pecuniary success4 ,we sometimes go to extremes in ,america by advocating self-dependence1 and let a refined and sensitive soul break because it cannot breast the world4 ,we forget that on earth we are to be our brother's keeper4 ,perchance we shall remember it beyond6 ,finally ,audubon left ,new ,orleans1 procuring passage on a boat to ,natchez1 by a crayon portrait of the captain and his wife4 ,in the family of a ,portuguese gentleman in that city1 he taught drawing1 music1 and ,french1 and also drawing in a college nine miles from ,natchez1 but he was still depressed4 ,while work flowed in upon me1 he says1 the hope of my completing my book upon the birds of ,america became less clear2 and1 full of despair1 ,i feared my hopes of becoming known to ,europe as a naturalist were destined to be blasted4 ,to feel within one's breast the aspiration which is ,god-given1 and know that one has genius1 and yet be bound hand and foot by circumstances1--what is harder8 ,poor ,audubon6 with his lessening hope of becoming known to ,europe4 ,his wife had come to ,natchez and obtained a position as teacher1 similar to the one she had held in ,new ,orleans4 ,poverty had tested their love1 but it had stood the test4 ,audubon had made a copy of the ,death of ,montgomery2 and for this friends raffled1 and gave him the proceeds1 three hundred dollars1 and the picture also4 ,mrs4 ,audubon now made an engagement with a lady at ,bayou ,sara1 to teach her children with her own1 and a limited number of pupils4 ,seeing that his family would now be provided for1 ,i determined1 he says1 to break through all bonds1 and pursue my ornithological pursuits4 ,my best friends solemnly regarded me as a madman1 and my wife and family alone gave me encouragement4 ,my wife determined that my genius should prevail1 and that my final success as an ornithologist should be triumphant4 ,blessed faith of woman6 ,giving a love that knows only self-sacrifice2 that braves all1 bears all1 and finally wins all for its beloved object4 ,the oldest son1 ,victor1 was placed in the counting-house of a friend at ,louisville1 and ,audubon sought ,philadelphia1 as a desperate venture1 he says1 to see if means could not be obtained to further his work4 ,he took a room1 and began to give lessons in drawing4 ,he said plaintively in his journal1 ,i have now been twenty-five years pursuing my ornithological studies1 and yet the book was not written4 ,fortunately he obtained a letter of introduction to the portrait-painter ,sully1 a man after my own heart1 and who showed me great kindnesses4 ,he gave ,audubon instruction in oil1 and would take no pay for it1 and the naturalist was overwhelmed with his goodness4 ,audubon found another warm-hearted friend1--,edward ,harris1--a young ornithologist1 who1 as he was bidding ,audubon good-by1 squeezed a hundred-dollar bill into his hand1 saying1 ,mr4 ,audubon1 accept this from me2 men like you ought not to want for money4 ,i could only express my gratitude1 says ,audubon1 by insisting on his receiving the drawings of all my ,french birds1 which he did1 and ,i was relieved4 ,a friend now took him to visit ,mill ,grove4 ,as we entered the avenue leading to ,mill ,grove1 he says1 every step brought to my mind the memory of past years1 and ,i was bewildered by the recollections until we reached the door of the house1 which had once been the residence of my father as well as myself4444 ,after resting a few moments1 ,i abruptly took my hat1 and ran wildly towards the woods1 to the grotto where ,i first heard from my wife the acknowledgment that she was not indifferent to me4 ,it had been torn down1 and some stones carted away2 but1 raising my eyes toward heaven1 ,i repeated the promise we had mutually made4 ,we dined at ,mill ,grove1 and as ,i entered the parlor ,i stood motionless1 for a moment1 on the spot where my wife and myself were forever joined4 ,he then went to ,new ,york1 and a friend took him to the ,lyceum4 ,my portfolio was examined by the members of the ,institute1 he says1 among whom ,i felt awkward and uncomfortable4 ,after living among such people1 ,i feel clouded and depressed2 remember that ,i have done nothing1 and fear ,i may die unknown1 ,i feel ,i am strange to all but the birds of ,america4 ,in a few days ,i shall be in the woods1 and quite forgotten4 ,the next day1 he writes in his journal3 ,my spirits low1 and ,i long for the woods again2 but the prospect of becoming known prompts me to remain another day4 ,from this city he journeyed ,west4 ,all trembling ,i reached the ,falls of ,niagara1 and oh1 what a scene6 ,my blood shudders still1 although ,i am not a coward1 at the grandeur of the ,creator's power2 and ,i gazed motionless on this new display of the irresistible force of one of his elements4 ,at ,buffalo1 he took a deck-passage on board a schooner bound for ,erie1 using his buffalo-robe and blanket to sleep on4 ,at ,pittsburg1 he spent a month scouring the country for birds1 and continued his drawings4 ,arriving at ,cincinnati1 he says1 ,i was beset by claims for the payment of articles which years before had been ordered for the ,museum1 but from which ,i got no benefit4 ,without money1 or the means of making it1 ,i applied to ,messrs4 ,keating and ,bell for the loan of fifteen dollars2 but had not the courage to do so until ,i had walked past their house several times1 unable to make up my mind how to ask the favor4 ,i got the loan cheerfully1 and took a deck-passage to ,louisville4 ,i was allowed to take my meals in the cabin1 and at night slept among some shavings ,i managed to scrape together4 ,the spirit of contentment which ,i now feel is strange2 it borders on the sublime2 and1 enthusiast or lunatic1 as some of my relatives will have me1 ,i am glad to possess such a spirit4 ,at last he reached ,bayou ,sara1 and saw his wife2 and1 holding and kissing her1 ,i was once more happy1 and all my toils and trials were forgotten4 ,mrs4 ,audubon had been extremely fortunate4 ,she was earning nearly three thousand dollars a year4 ,this she offered to her husband to help the publication of the book4 ,he was invited to teach dancing1 and a class of sixty was soon organized4 ,from this source he received about two thousand dollars4 ,the tide of fortune had turned at last1 and he began to prepare for a trip to ,england4 ,he was forty-six4 ,life had been indeed a struggle4 ,he had wandered over the country1 with scanty food and poor attire1 always in debt1 but he had drawn his birds2 and now the money was actually in his hands1 whereby he could1 perhaps1 be known in ,europe4 ,and ,lucy ,audubon had made it possible6 ,he had gained much by his trials4 ,he had learned what most of us take a life-time to learn1 patience2 not to speak harshly when others are harsh4 ,he said1 ,to repay evils with kindness is the religion ,i was taught to practice1 and this will forever be my rule4 ,he had learned that much in life is trivial1 that most things are not matters of life and death2 little worries come to all1 and can be borne--the momentous things of life are really few4 ,april #bf1 #ahbf1 ,audubon sailed for ,england4 ,arriving at ,liverpool1 he was able to arrange for the display of his drawings at the ,liverpool ,exhibition4 ,the entrance fee was one shilling1 and the receipts were from fifteen to twenty dollars a day4 ,surely fame was coming at last4 ,lord ,stanley spent five hours in examining the collection1 and said1 ,this work is unique1 and deserves the patronage of the ,crown4 ,he invited ,audubon to visit him at his town house in ,grosvenor ,square4 ,the naturalist made portraits of various friends who were desirous of obtaining specimens of his drawing4 ,from the exhibition of his pictures in ,liverpool he realized five hundred dollars4 ,from this city he went to ,manchester1 and from thence to ,edinburgh4 ,here he met the naturalist ,professor ,jameson1 who promised to introduce his book to the public in his ,natural ,history ,magazine4 ,professor ,wilson 7,christopher ,north7 volunteered to introduce ,audubon to ,sir ,walter ,scott4 ,audubon was asked to sit for his portrait4 ,the ,royal ,institution offered their rooms for the exhibition of his drawings1 and the receipts were from twenty-five to seventy-five dollars a day4 ,truly things had changed1 since those desolate days in ,america1 when he slept on the deck of a steamboat1 because unable to pay for a bed1 and could not summon the courage to ask the loan of fifteen dollars4 ,invited to dine with the ,antiquarian ,society1 he met ,lord ,elgin1 who presided1 and was obliged to respond to a flattering toast1 which made him feel very faint and chill4 ,i was expected to make a speech1 he says1 but could not1 and never had tried4 ,being called on for a reply1 ,i said1 ',gentlemen1 my incapacity for words to respond to your flattering notice is hardly exceeded by that of the birds now hanging on the walls of your institution4 ,i am truly obliged to you for your favors1 and can only say1 ,god bless you all1 and may your society prosper4' ,i sat down with the perspiration running over me4 ,professor ,wilson prepared an article upon ,audubon and his work for ,blackwood's ,magazine4 ,his picture was hung in the ,exhibition room4 ,he was made a member of the ,wernerian ,natural ,history ,society1 and of the ,royal ,society4 ,he was pleased1 and said1 ,so1 poor ,audubon1 if not rich1 thou wilt be honored at least1 and held in high esteem among men4 ,no wonder he wrote to his wife3 ,my success in ,edinburgh borders on the miraculous4 ,my book is to be published in numbers1 containing four birds in each1 the size of life1 in a style surpassing anything now existing1 at two guineas a number4 ,the engravings are truly beautiful2 some of them have been colored1 and are now on exhibition4444 ,i expect to visit the ,duke of ,northumberland1 who has promised to subscribe for my work4444 ,one hundred subscribers for my book will pay all expenses4 ,some persons are terrified at the sum of one hundred and eighty guineas for a work1--nearly a thousand dollars1--but this amount is to be spread over eight years1 during which time the volumes will be gradually completed4 ,i am feted1 feasted2 elected honorary member of societies1 making money by my exhibition and by my paintings4 ,it is ,mr4 ,audubon here1 and ,mr4 ,audubon there1 and ,i can only hope that ,mr4 ,audubon will not be made a conceited fool at last4 ,there was no fear of this4 ,he always remained the modest1 earnest1 devoted student of nature4 ,he read before the ,natural ,history ,society a paper on the habits of the wild pigeon4 ,he says1 ,i began that paper on ,wednesday1 wrote all day1 and sat up until half-past three the next morning2 and so absorbed was my whole soul and spirit in the work1 that ,i felt as if ,i were in the woods of ,america among the pigeons1 and my ears were filled with the sound of their rustling wings4 ,after sleeping a few hours1 ,i rose and corrected it4444 ,captain ,hall expressed some doubts as to my views respecting the affection and love of pigeons1 as if ,i made it human1 and raised the possessors quite above the brutes4 ,i presume the love of the mothers for their young is much the same as the love of woman for her offspring4 ,there is but one kind of love2 ,god is love1 and all his creatures derive theirs from his3 only it is modified by the different degrees of intelligence in different beings and creatures4 ,with all this attention1 his heart was never callous to suffering4 ,i was sauntering along the streets1 he says1 thinking of the beautiful aspects of nature1 meditating on the power of the great ,creator1 on the beauty and majesty of his works1 and on the skill he had given man to study them1 when the whole train of my thoughts was suddenly arrested by a ragged1 sickly-looking beggar boy4 ,his face told of hunger and hardship1 and ,i gave him a shilling and passed on4 ,but turning again1 the child was looking after me1 and ,i beckoned to him to return4 ,taking him back to my lodgings1 ,i gave him all the garments ,i had which were worn1 added five shillings more in money1 gave him my blessing1 and sent him away rejoicing1 and feeling myself as if ,god had smiled on me4 ,there is no sympathy so sweet as that born of experience4 ,noble-hearted ,audubon6 ,god had indeed smiled on him4 ,hereafter he was to walk in the sunlight of that smile4 ,he was to work1 of course1 for there is no approbation for idleness1 but he was to know want no more4 ,march #ag1 #ahbg1 he issued the prospectus of his book1 which was to cost him over one hundred thousand dollars4 ,here was courage1 but he had been fighting obstacles all his life1 and he believed he could succeed4 ,in this he said1 ,the author has not contented himself1 as others have done1 with single profile views1 but in very many instances has grouped his figures so as to represent the originals at their natural avocations1 and has placed them on branches of trees1 decorated with foliage1 blossoms1 and fruits1 or amidst plants of numerous species4 ,some are seen pursuing their prey through the air1 searching for food amongst the leaves and herbage1 sitting in their nests1 or feeding their young2 whilst others1 of a different nature1 swim1 wade1 or glide in or over their allotted element4 ,leaving ,edinburgh1 ,audubon visited ,newcastle1 ,leeds1 ,york1 ,shrewsbury1 and ,manchester1 securing a few subscribers to his work1 at one thousand dollars each4 ,it seemed difficult enough to spend a lifetime in preparing the book1 without being obliged to perform the irksome and trying task of selling it2 but fame asks ,herculean labors of its votaries4 ,often he was pained by ill-mannered refusals4 ,how few are like ,longfellow1 who could say no so kindly1 that it almost seemed like yes4 ,audubon tells1 in his journal1 of an interview with the great banker ,rothschild4 ,on opening the letter brought by the naturalist1 the baron said1 ,this is only a letter of introduction1 and ,i expect from its contents that you are the publisher of some book or other1 and need my subscription4 ,no man can be truly great who knows how to be uncivil6 ,sir1 he added1 ,i never sign my name to any subscription list1 but you may send in your work and ,i will pay for a copy of it4 ,i am busy1 ,i wish you good-morning4 ,when the book was sent1 the baron exclaimed1 ,what1 two hundred pounds for birds6 ,why1 sir1 ,i will give you five pounds1 and not a farthing more6 ,this offer was declined with thanks1 and the book taken back to the publishers4 ,very different from ,rothschild was ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence1 the painter4 ,overwhelmed with work1 he insisted on ,audubon's remaining to his simple breakfast of boiled eggs and coffee1 called at his rooms later1 examined his drawings1 and said he would bring a few purchasers1 that very day4 ,in about two hours1 says ,audubon1 he returned with two gentlemen1 to whom he did not introduce me1 but who were pleased with my work1 and one purchased the ',otter ,caught in a ,trap1' for which he gave me twenty pounds sterling1 and the other1 ',a ,group of ,common ,rabbits1' for fifteen sovereigns4 ,i took the pictures to the carriage which stood at the door1 and they departed1 leaving me more amazed than ,i had been by their coming4 ,the second visit was much of the same nature1 differing1 however1 chiefly in the number of persons he brought with him1 which was three instead of two2 each one of whom purchased a picture1 at seven1 ten1 and thirty-five pounds respectively2 and1 as before1 the party and the pictures left together in a splendid carriage with liveried footmen4 ,i longed to know their names1 but1 as ,sir ,thomas was silent respecting them1 ,i imitated his reticence in restraining my curiosity1 and remained in mute astonishment4444 ,without the sale of these pictures1 ,i was a bankrupt1 when my work was scarcely begun1 and in two days more ,i should have seen all my hopes of the publication blasted2 for ,mr4 ,havell1 the engraver1 had already called to say that on ,saturday ,i must pay him sixty pounds4 ,i was then not only not worth a penny1 but had actually borrowed five pounds a few days before1 to purchase materials for my pictures4 ,but these pictures which ,sir ,thomas sold for me enabled me to pay my borrowed money1 and to appear full-handed when ,mr4 ,havell called4 ,thus ,i passed the ,rubicon6 ,blessings on thee1 ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence1 carrying out ,emerson's divine motto1 ,help somebody6 ,but ,audubon did something more than try to obtain subscribers for his book4 ,he says3 ,at that time ,i painted all day1 and sold my work during the dusky hours of evening1 as ,i walked through the ,strand and other streets where the ,jews reigned2 popping in and out of ,jew shops or any others1 and never refusing the offers made me for the pictures ,i carried fresh from the easel4 ,startling and surprising as this may seem1 it is nevertheless true1 and one of the curious events of my most extraordinary life4 ,let me add here1 that ,i sold seven copies of the ',entrapped ,otter1' in ,london1 ,manchester1 and ,liverpool1 besides one copy presented to my friend ,mr4 ,richard ,rathbone4 ,in other pictures1 also1 ,i have sold from seven to ten copies1 merely by changing the course of my rambles2 and strange to say1 that when1 in after years and better times1 ,i called on the different owners to whom ,i had sold the copies1 ,i never found a single one in their hands4 ,painting all day1 and selling his pictures at night along the streets of ,london1 all to bring out the ,birds of ,america6 ,what a life history is between the leaves of that great work6 ,sometimes1 in his wanderings1 he met poverty that made him sick of ,london2 an artist making caricatures1 while his wife and six little children begged2 but he always gave part of what he had1 and went back to his work1 more than ever determined to win4 ,september #a1 #ahbh1 ,audubon went to ,paris1 going first to ,baron ,cuvier4 ,he was busy--who is not that accomplishes anything8--and1 while he cordially invited ,audubon to dine1 went on studying a small lizard4 ,great men show politeness in a particular way1 says ,audubon2 they receive you without much demonstration2 a smile suffices to assure you that you are welcome1 and keep about their avocations as if you were a member of the family4 ,cuvier made a report of ,audubon's work to the ,academy of ,sciences4 ,he said1 ,it may be described in a few words as the most magnificent monument which has yet been erected to ornithology4444 ,formerly the ,european naturalists were obliged to make known to ,america the riches she possessed4444 ,if that of ,mr4 ,audubon should be completed1 we shall be obliged to acknowledge that ,america1 in magnificence of execution1 has surpassed the world4 ,audubon also made the acquaintance of ,baron ,humboldt1 ,geoffrey ,saint-,hilaire1 and of ,gerard1 the painter1 who said1 ,you are the king of ornithological painters4 ,we are all children in ,france or ,europe4 ,who would have expected such things from the woods of ,america6 ,after two months in ,paris1 he returned to ,london1 and soon sailed for ,america4 ,once on his native soil1 he says1 ,my heart swelled with joy1 and all seemed like a pleasant dream at first2 but as soon as the reality was fairly impressed on my mind1 tears of joy rolled down my cheeks4 ,i clasped my hands1 and fell on my knees1 and1 raising my eyes to heaven1 ,i offered my thanks to our ,god1 that he had preserved and prospered me in my long absence1 and once more permitted me to approach these shores so dear to me1 and which hold my heart's best earthly treasures4 ,he soon reached the ,bayou ,sara1 and came suddenly on my dear wife3 we were both overcome with emotion1 which found relief in tears4 ,he remained with his wife three months1 collecting birds and making drawings1 and then both sailed together for ,england4 ,during his absence he had been made a fellow of the ,royal ,society of ,london1 much to his delight4 ,now that his ,birds of ,america was coming out1 he began earnestly upon a new work1 ,ornithological ,biography of the ,birds of ,america1 containing nearly three thousand pages1 and published for him by ,mr4 ,black of ,edinburgh4 ,two publishers refused this famous work1 and ,audubon published at his own expense4 ,the first volume was finished in three months1 and ,mrs4 ,audubon copied it entire to send to ,america to secure copyright4 ,audubon worked untiringly4 ,he wrote all day long1 and so full was my mind of birds and their habits1 that in my sleep ,i continually dreamed of birds4 ,the ,birds of ,america received good reviews in ,blackwood's ,magazine1 and elsewhere4 ,audubon said1 ,i have balanced my accounts with the ',birds of ,america1' and the whole business is really wonderful2 forty thousand dollars have passed through my hands for the completion of the first volume4 ,who would believe that a lonely individual1 who landed in ,england without a friend in the whole country1 and with only sufficient pecuniary means to travel through it as a visitor1 could have accomplished such a task as this publication6 ,who would believe that once1 in ,london1 ,audubon had only one sovereign left in his pocket1 and did not know of a single individual to whom he could apply to borrow another1 when he was on the verge of failure in the very beginning of his undertaking6 ,and1 above all1 who would believe that he extricated himself from all his difficulties1 not by borrowing money1 but by rising at four o'clock in the morning1 working hard all day1 and disposing of his works at a price which a common laborer would have thought little more than sufficient remuneration for his work6 ,in the four years required to bring out the work1 fifty-six of his subscribers1 representing the sum of fifty-six thousand dollars1 abandoned him1 and he was obliged to leave ,london1 and go into the provinces to supply their places4 ,september #c1 #ahca1 ,audubon returned to ,america1 spent the winter in ,eastern ,florida1 searching for birds and animals1 and then some months in ,labrador1 having sent ,victor to ,england to superintend the engraving of the drawings4 ,in ,labrador he collected one hundred and seventy-three skins of birds1 and studied carefully the habits of the eider-duck1 loons1 wild geese1 and other birds4 ,sometimes he was so weary from drawing that my neck and shoulders1 and most of all my fingers1 have ached from the fatigue4 ,the fact is1 ,i am growing old too fast1 alas6 ,i feel it1 and yet work ,i will1 and may ,god grant me life to see the last plate of my mammoth work finished4 ,labrador is so grandly wild and desolate1 he said1 that ,i am charmed by its wonderful dreariness4444 ,and yet how beautiful it is now1 when your eye sees the wild bee1 moving from one flower to another in search of food1 which doubtless is as sweet to her as the essence of the orange and magnolia is to her more favored sister in ,louisiana4 ,the little ring-plover rearing its delicate and tender young2 the eider-duck swimming man-of-war-like amid her floating brood1 like the guardship of a most valuable convoy2 the white-crowned bunting's sonorous note reaching your ears ever and anon2 the crowds of sea-birds in search of places wherein to repose or to feed4 ,on his return from ,labrador1 he went to ,philadelphia1 where he was arrested for one of his old partnership debts1 and would have been taken to prison except for a friend who kindly offered bail4 ,from here he went to the house of an old friend1 ,rev4 ,john ,bachman of ,charleston1 ,s4 ,c41 whose two daughters subsequently married the two sons of ,audubon1 ,victor and ,john4 ,he returned to ,london1 and in #ahcd and #ahce published the second and third volumes of the ,ornithological ,biography4 ,in #ahcf he came back to ,america for further research1 and received a warm welcome from distinguished men4 ,daniel ,webster and ,washington ,irving became his earnest friends4 ,the latter said that his work was highly creditable to the nation1 and deserved national patronage4 ,he dined with ,andrew ,jackson at the ,white ,house4 ,on his return to ,england he wrote the fourth volume of the ,ornithological ,biography1 and the fifth the following year4 ,this year1 #ahci1 he returned to ,america to spend the rest of his life1 purchased a home on the banks of the ,hudson in upper ,new ,york1 which he called ,minnie's ,land1 the ,scotch word for mother1 this being the name by which he generally addressed his wife1 to whom he left the whole of it at his death4 ,he was now sixty1 but his work was not done4 ,he immediately began to bring out his ,birds of ,america in seven octavo volumes1 with the figures reduced and lithographed4 ,he exhibited in ,new ,york his wonderful collection of drawings1 several thousands of birds and animals1 all the size of life1 by his own hands4 ,in #ahdc1 taking his son ,victor1 he started on an expedition to the ,yellowstone ,river1 to collect animals and drawings for another great work1 the ,quadrupeds of ,north ,america4 ,after nearly a year he returned1 and began his book4 ,in two years the first volume was ready2 but after this he could do no more4 ,the rest of the great work was finished by his sons after his death4 ,in #ahdh the quick1 active mind failed4 ,his wife read to him1 led him like a child1 and at the last fed him4 ,one1 at least1 had never failed him1 since the day when she gave the money she earned to send him to ,europe to win renown4 ,on ,thursday morning1 ,january #bg1 #ahea1 the eyes dulled for so long once more showed their former lustre and beauty4 ,audubon did not speak1 but he seemed to know that the time had come for the last journey4 ,he reached out his arms1 clasped the hands of his wife and children1 and died4 ,four days later1 surrounded by distinguished friends1 he was buried in ,trinity ,church cemetery1 where his sons now rest beside him4 ,a singularly guileless1 sweet-natured man1 who willed to do all this great work when a boy1 and achieved it when a man1 because he had willed it4 ,well says ,general ,james ,grant ,wilson1 in the life of ,audubon so admirably prepared by his wife1 ,long after the bronze statue of the naturalist1 that we hope soon to see erected in the ,central ,park1 shall have been wasted and worn beyond recognition by the winds and rains of ,heaven1 while the towering and snow-covered peak of the ,rocky ,mountains known as ,mount ,audubon shall rear its lofty head among the clouds1 while the little wren chirps about our homes and the robin and reed-bird sing in the green meadows1 while the melody of the mocking-bird is heard in the cypress swamps of ,louisiana1 or the shrill scream of the eagle on the frozen shores of the ,northern seas1 the name of ,john ,james ,audubon1 the gifted artist1 the ardent lover of nature1 and the admirable writer1 will live in the hearts of his grateful countrymen4 ,,samuel ,,finley ,,breese ,,morse4 ,samuel ,f4 ,b4 ,morse was born at the foot of ,breed's ,hill1 ,charlestown1 ,mass41 ,april #bg1 #agia4 ,he was the eighth child in a family of eleven children1 all of whom1 except three sons1 ,samuel1 ,richard1 and ,sidney1 died in their infancy4 ,the father1 ,jedediah ,morse1 was a doctor of divinity1 having studied under ,jonathan ,edwards1 and was also a journalist and writer of books4 ,he helped to establish the ,boston ,recorder1 now the ,congregationalist1 and with others laid the foundations of the ,theological ,seminary at ,andover1 the ,american ,board of ,foreign ,missions1 the ,american ,bible ,society1 and the ,american ,tract ,society4 ,he was an impulsive1 hopeful man of wonderful energy1 and1 as ,daniel ,webster said1 he was always thinking1 always writing1 always talking1 always acting4 ,his wife1 ,elizabeth ,ann ,breese1 was the granddaughter of ,samuel ,finley1 ,president of ,princeton ,college1 a woman of strong will1 excellent judgment1 and extremely pleasant manners4 ,from the one1 the boy ,finley inherited energy and hope2 from the other1 agreeable manners and indomitable perseverance4 ,illustration3 ,,samuel ,f4 ,b4 ,,morse4 ,from the ,portrait ,gallery of ,eminent ,men and ,women4 ,at four years of age ,finley was sent to a school near the parsonage1 kept by ,old ,ma'am ,rand4 ,being an invalid1 she governed with a long rattan which reached from her chair across the schoolroom4 ,finley1 early developing artistic tastes1 sketched the teacher's face with a pin on a chest of drawers4 ,probably the picture was not handsome1 for the offender was punished by being pinned to her dress4 ,breaking away1 and carrying part of the dress with him1 the rattan did its appropriate work6 ,at seven he was sent to a school at ,andover1 and fitted for ,phillips ,academy4 ,he received helpful letters from his father4 ,at ten1 ,dr4 ,morse writes him3 ,your natural disposition1 my dear son1 renders it proper for me earnestly to recommend to you to attend to one thing at a time2 it is impossible that you can do two things well at the same time1 and ,i would therefore never have you attempt it4 ,never undertake to do what ought not to be done1 and then1 whatever you undertake1 endeavor to do it in the best manner4 ,it is said of ,de,witt1 a celebrated statesman in ,holland1 who was torn to pieces in the year #afgb1 that he did the whole business of the republic1 and yet had time left to go to assemblies in the evening1 and sup in company4 ,being asked how he could possibly find time to go through so much business1 and yet amuse himself in the evenings as he did1 he answered3 ',there was nothing so easy1 for that it was only doing one thing at a time1 and never putting off anything till to-morrow that could be done to-day4' ,this steady and undissipated attention to one object is a sure mark of a superior genius1 as hurry1 bustle1 and agitation are the never-failing symptoms of a weak and frivolous mind4 ,at this early age ,finley pored over ,plutarch's ,lives of ,illustrious ,men1 and resolved1 as many another boy from reading these volumes1 to be somebody4 ,there is scarcely a more important thing for a child than that parents should put into his or her hands stimulating and helpful books4 ,when ,finley was thirteen1 he wrote a sketch of the ,life of ,demosthenes1 and sent it to his father4 ,at fourteen he was admitted to the ,freshman class at ,yale1 but did not attend college till the following year4 ,he was a good scholar in geometry and history1 but was especially fond of natural philosophy and chemistry4 ,under ,professor ,jeremiah ,day he began to study electricity1 and witnessed the following experiments with great interest3 ,let the fluid pass through a chain1 or through any metallic bodies placed at small distances from each other1 the fluid in a dark room will be visible between the links of the chain1 or between the metallic bodies4444 ,if the circuit be interrupted by several folds of paper1 a perforation will be made through it1 and each of the leaves will be protruded by the stroke from the middle to the outward leaves4 ,writing upon this subject sixty years afterward1 ,morse said1 ,the fact that the presence of electricity can be made visible in any desired part of the circuit was the crude seed which took root in my mind1 and grew up into form1 and ripened into the invention of the telegraph4 ,under ,professor ,benjamin ,silliman1 a name greatly honored in science1 ,morse found great delight and profit4 ,he wrote to his parents1 that he should bring home a chemical trough1 gun-barrels1 retorts1 etc4 ,with this fondness for science1 ,morse showed a decided ability in art4 ,he took pictures of his classmates1 at one dollar each1 and miniatures on ivory at five dollars each1 thus helping to pay his expenses4 ,the price charged was very low1 but possibly it was all the pictures were worth1 for as yet he had never taken a lesson4 ,long before his college course was at an end1 he had decided to become a painter1 probably much against the unspoken wishes of his parents1 who must have felt that poverty would be his companion1 for some years1 at best4 ,on going home to ,charlestown1 he attended a course of anatomical and surgical lectures in ,boston4 ,washington ,allston1 then at the head of his profession in ,america1 had spent two years in ,boston1 and was about to return to ,europe4 ,morse went with him and took lodgings in ,london4 ,at once he wrote home1 ,i only wish you had this letter now to relieve your minds from anxiety1 for while ,i am writing ,i can imagine mother wishing that she could hear of my arrival1 and thinking of thousands of accidents which may have befallen me4 ,i wish that in an instant ,i could communicate the information2 but three thousand miles are not passed over in an instant1 and we must wait four long weeks before we can hear from each other4 ,on the outside of this letter1 yellow with age1 he wrote toward the end of his life1 ,,longing ,,for ,a ,,telegraph ,,even ,,in ,,this ,,letter4 ,in ,london he soon met ,benjamin ,west1 born in ,springfield1 ,penn41 then at the head of the ,royal ,academy in ,england4 ,he had been poor and obscure2 now he was distinguished1 and courted even by royalty4 ,morse1 ever ambitious1 soon arranged to study under ,west1 and became his devoted admirer4 ,he wrote home3 ,mr4 ,west is in his seventy-fourth year1 but to see him you would suppose him only about five-and-forty4444 ,he expressed great attachment to his native country1 and he told me1 as a proof of it1 he presented them with this large picture 7',christ ,healing the ,sick'74 ,i walked through his gallery of paintings of his own production4 ,there were upwards of two hundred1 consisting principally of the original sketches of his large pieces4 ,he has painted in all upward of six hundred pictures1 which is more than any artist ever did1 with the exception of ,rubens4 ,mr4 ,west is so industrious now that it is hard to get access to him1 and then only between the hours of nine and ten in the morning4 ,he is working on eight or nine different pieces at present1 and seems to be more enthusiastic than he ever was before4444 ,no man1 perhaps1 ever passed through so much abuse1 and ,i am confident no one ever bore up against its insolence with more nobleness of spirit4 ,with a steady perseverance in the pursuit of the sublimest profession1 he has travelled on1 heedless of his enemies1 till he is sure of immortality4 ,excuse my fervor in the praise of this extraordinary man4444 ,i think there can be no stronger proof that human nature is the same always1 than that men of genius in all ages have been compelled to undergo the same disappointments1 and to pass through the same storms of calumny and abuse1 doomed in their lifetime to endure the ridicule or neglect of the world1 and to wait for justice till they were dead4 ,how well1 unknowingly1 ,morse foretold his own career2 disappointments1 abuse1 ridicule6 ,stimulated by the industry and renown of ,west1 he worked at his drawing from half-past seven in the forenoon until five in the afternoon1 and then again in the evening4 ,he learned what all persons learn1 sooner or later1 that there is no easy road to fame4 ,west encouraged the young artist1 and this added fuel to the flame of ambition4 ,desiring admission to the ,royal ,academy1 he spent two weeks in making a drawing from a small cast of the ,farnese ,hercules4 ,showing it to ,mr4 ,west for his criticism1 ,west said1 ,very well1 sir1 very well2 go on and finish it4 ,it is finished1 replied ,morse4 ,oh1 no1 said ,mr4 ,west2 look here1 and here1 and here4 ,morse drew a week longer1 and again presented it4 ,very well1 indeed1 sir1 he said2 go on and finish it4 ,is it not finished8 asked ,morse1 half discouraged4 ,not yet1 said ,west2 see you have not marked that muscle1 nor the articulations of the finger-joints4 ,a third time he presented the drawing1 and received the same advice as before4 ,i cannot finish it1 said ,morse1 despairingly4 ,well1 said ,west1 ,i have tried you long enough4 ,now1 sir1 you have learned more by this drawing than you would have accomplished in double the time by a dozen half-finished beginnings4 ,it is not numerous drawings1 but the character of one1 which makes a thorough draughtsman4 ,finish one picture1 sir1 and you are a painter4 ,morse was now admitted to the ,royal ,academy1 and had visions of becoming great4 ,he writes home3 ,i have just finished a model in clay of a figure 7',the ,dying ,hercules'71 my first attempt at sculpture4 ,mr4 ,allston is extremely pleased with it2 he says it is better than all the things ,i have done since ,i have been in ,england1 put together1 and says ,i must send a cast of it home to you1 and that it will convince you that ,i shall make a painter4444 ,mr4 ,west also was extremely delighted with it4 ,he said it was not merely an academical figure1 but displayed thought4 ,he could not have paid me a higher compliment4444 ,my passion for my art is so firmly rooted that ,i am confident no human power could destroy it4 ,the more ,i study1 the greater ,i think is its claim to the appellation of divine1 and ,i never shall be able sufficiently to show my gratitude to my parents for enabling me to pursue that profession without which ,i am sure ,i should be miserable4 ,and if it is my destiny to become ,,great1 and worthy of a biographical memoir1 my biographer will never be able to charge upon my parents that bigoted attachment to any individual profession1 the exercise of which spirit by parents toward their children has been the ruin of some of the greatest geniuses4 ,the model of the ,dying ,hercules was sent to the ,society of ,arts at the ,adelphi1 and ,morse received the gold medal given for the best work in painting1 sculpture1 and architecture4 ,morse had taken letters of introduction to several prominent persons1 like ,wilberforce and ,zachary ,macaulay1 the father of the historian1 but he was too busy to use them4 ,he gives another reason also--poverty4 ,he says1 ,with regard to my expenses1 ,i got through the first year with two hundred pounds1 and hope the same sum will carry me through the second4 ,if you knew the manner in which we live1 you would wonder how it was possible ,i could have made so great a change in my habits4 ,i am obliged to screw and pinch myself in a thousand things in which ,i used to indulge myself at home4444 ,i breakfast on simple bread and butter1 and two cups of coffee2 ,i dine on either beef1 mutton1 or pork 7veal being out of the question1 as it is one shilling and six pence per pound71 baked1 with potatoes1 warm perhaps twice a week1 all the rest of the week cold2 at tea1 bread and butter1 with two cups of tea4 ,this is my daily round4 ,i have had no new clothes for nearly a year2 my best are threadbare1 and my shoes are out at the toes2 my stockings all want to see my mother1 and my hat is growing hoary with age4444 ',but1' you will say1 'what do you do with the money1 if you live thus sparingly8' ,why1 ,i will tell you the whole4 ,when ,i first came to ,london1 ,i was told1 if ,i meant to support the character of a gentleman1 ,i must take especial care of my personal appearance2 so ,i thought it a matter of course that ,i must spare no expense in order to appear well4 ,so1 this being first in my mind1 ,i 7supposing very wisely that ,london folks had nothing else to do but to see how ,i was dressed7 laid out a considerable part of my money on myself2 meanwhile1 picture-galleries and collections1 with many other places which ,i ought constantly to have visited1 and which cost some money1 were neglected4 ,and why8 ,because ,i could not afford it4 ,well1 in process of time1 ,i found no very particular advantage to be gained by supporting the character of a gentleman1 for these reasons3 in the first place1 nobody saw me2 in the second place1 if they had seen me1 they would not have known me2 and1 thirdly1 if they had known me1 they would not have cared a farthing about me4 ,so ,i thought within myself what ,i came to ,england for1 and ,i found that it was not to please ,english folks1 but to study painting2 and1 as ,i found ,i must sacrifice painting to dress and visiting1 or dress and visiting to painting1 ,i determined on the latter1 and ever since have lived accordingly1 and now the tables are turned4 ,i visit galleries and collections1 purchase prints1 etc42 and when ,i am asked why ,i don't pay more attention to my dress1 ,i reply that ,i cannot afford it4 ,morse had now painted the ,death of ,hercules1 a large picture1 eight feet by six feet and a half4 ,the painting was received at the exhibition at ,somerset ,house1 though six hundred other works were refused4 ,it was adjudged by the press to be one of the best nine among a thousand pictures2 many of them by such men as ,turner1 ,lawrence1 and ,wilkie4 ,surely1 he had reason to be encouraged4 ,what little leisure ,morse could obtain he spent in reading the old poets1--,spenser1 ,chaucer1 ,dante1 and ,tasso4 ,he now made the acquaintance of ,rogers1 ,coleridge1 and others4 ,once1 as he was going into the country with ,coleridge1 he took in the carriage ,irving's ,history of ,new ,york4 ,on retiring1 ,coleridge took the book and began to read4 ,morse fell asleep1 and in the morning was surprised to find the lights burning1 and his friend still reading4 ,it was now ten o'clock1 and ,coleridge was so absorbed that he did not know that the whole night had passed4 ,later1 ,irving and ,coleridge became warm friends4 ,in need of money1 ,morse repaired to ,bristol1 where he spent several months1 having had the promise of work2 but not a single person called to look at his pictures1 and not one came for a portrait4 ,he had already been abroad four years1 and now stern necessity called him home4 ,he had just finished a large picture1 ,the ,judgment of ,jupiter in the ,case of ,apollo1 ,marpessa1 and ,ida1 to compete for the highest prize offered by the ,royal ,academy for historical composition2 but as he could not be present to receive the premium1 he was not allowed to enter the picture4 ,he accordingly brought it home with him1 arriving in ,boston ,october #ah1 #ahae4 ,dr4 ,morse had engaged a studio for his son in ,boston1 and the ,judgment of ,jupiter was opened for exhibition4 ,people came1 and saw1 and praised1 and went away without leaving any orders for pictures4 ,a year went by1 and not one person offered to buy the ,judgment of ,jupiter1 and not one person ordered a historical work4 ,this was indeed discouraging to an enthusiastic artist4 ,he began now to turn his mind toward invention1 for which he had a natural tendency2 and during the evenings he thought out an improvement in the common pump1 one that could be adapted to the forcing-pump in the fire-engine4 ,the pump and the ,judgment of ,jupiter certainly had not very much in common4 ,the patent pump was put on exhibition on ,gray's ,wharf in ,charlestown1 but it did not cause money to flow into the pockets of its inventor4 ,disappointed in his art work1 ,morse took letters of introduction from his father to several ministers in the neighboring towns1 and started out to paint portraits at fifteen dollars apiece4 ,this was not very much better than the five-dollar miniatures on ivory while in college1 especially as he had been to the expense of four years in ,europe4 ,at ,concord1 ,n4 ,h41 he had good success1 writing home that he had painted five portraits1 had two more engaged1 and many more talked of4 ,while in ,london he had written to his parents1 ,i came very near being at my old game of falling in love2 but ,i find that love and painting are quarrelsome companions1 and that the house of my heart was too small for both of them1 so ,i have turned ,mrs4 ,love out-of-doors4 ',time enough1' thought ,i 7with true old-bachelor complacency71 'time enough for you these ten years to come4' ,but ,morse did not wait ten years1 for at twenty-four he fell in love with ,lucretia ,p4 ,walker of ,concord1 and was engaged to her4 ,she was not only beautiful1 but of the same lovable and intellectual type as ,grace ,webster1 who held the heart of ,daniel ,webster while he lived4 ,she combined sound judgment with much tenderness of feeling4 ,morse was a tall1 graceful1 handsome young man1 with blue eyes and winsome manners4 ,dr4 ,morse and his wife at once sent for their prospective daughter to visit them4 ,she came1 and1 as she pleased a mother who idolized ,finley1 it is safe to conclude that she was indeed lovely4 ,in ,january1 #ahah1 having been assured that he would find work in ,charleston1 ,s4 ,c41 he sailed from ,new ,york1 and met with a pleasant reception in the home of his uncle1 ,dr4 ,finley4 ,he found the society agreeable1 but month after month passed1 and there was not a single request for a portrait4 ,at last1 as he was about to return to ,new ,england1 he begged his uncle to sit for a painting1 as a small return for his kindness4 ,he did so1 and an admirable picture resulted4 ,friends came to see it4 ,at once ,charleston perceived that a real artist was in the city4 ,he soon had one hundred and fifty orders at sixty dollars each6 ,hope came again to his heart2 after a few months he returned to ,boston1 and ,october #a1 #ahah1 he married ,lucretia ,walker4 ,at the request of the ,common ,council of ,charleston1 he now painted the portrait of ,james ,monroe1 then ,president of the ,united ,states1 and a year later went again to ,south ,carolina1 leaving his wife and an infant daughter in ,concord1 with her parents4 ,on his return1 ,dr4 ,morse having resigned his pastorate at ,charlestown1 and moved to ,new ,haven1 ,ct41 ,finley also moved thither4 ,here he found delight in renewing his studies of galvanism and electricity under ,professor ,silliman4 ,tiring of portraits1 and longing for preeminence in art1 he conceived the idea of a historical piece1 the ,house of ,representatives1 with eighty portraits of individual members4 ,for this purpose he went to ,washington1 and began his work in earnest4 ,he writes to his young wife3 ,i am up at daylight1 have my breakfast and prayers over1 and commence the labors of the day long before the workmen are called to work on the ,capitol by the bell4 ,this ,i continue unremittingly till one o'clock1 when ,i dine in about fifteen minutes1 and then pursue my labors until tea1 which scarcely interrupts me1 as ,i often have my cup of tea in one hand and pencil in the other4 ,between ten and eleven o'clock ,i retire to rest4 ,this has been my course every day 7,sundays1 of course1 excepted7 since ,i have been here1 making about fourteen hours study out of the twenty-four4 ,this1 you will say1 is too hard1 and that ,i shall injure my health4 ,i can say that ,i never enjoyed better health1 and my body1 by the simple fare ,i live on1 is disciplined to this course4444 ,i have had a great deal of difficulty with the perspective of my picture4 ,but ,i have conquered1 and have accomplished my purpose4 ,after having drawn in the greater part three times1 ,i have as many times rubbed it all out again4 ,i have been1 several times1 from daylight until eleven o'clock at night1 solving a simple problem4 ,how ,i do long to see that dear little girl of mine1 and to hear her sweet prattle6 ,instruct her early1 my dear wife1 in the most important of all concerns2 teach her that there is a great ,father above1 her obligations to him and to her ,saviour4 ,kiss her often for papa1 and tell her he will come back one of these days4 ,so absorbed did he become in this picture1 that once he arose in the night1 mistaking the light of the moon for the day1 and went to his work1 and another time attempted to enter the hall on ,sunday1 forgetting even the days of the week4 ,when the work was finished and exhibited1 everybody was too much interested in his own affairs to care about congressmen1 and the picture failed to attract the public4 ,it proved a loss pecuniarily1 and was purchased by an ,englishman and taken to ,england4 ,twenty-five years afterward1 it was found in the third story of a store in ,new ,york1 nailed against a board partition1 and covered with dust4 ,it had been sent over from ,london by a house which had advanced a sum of money upon it while in ,england4 ,the picture afterward became the property of the artist ,daniel ,huntington4 ,morse now went to ,albany1 hoping to obtain some patronage from public men4 ,after long waiting1 he writes to his wife3 ,i have not as yet received any application for a portrait4 ,many tell me ,i have come at the wrong time--the same tune that has been rung in my ears so long6 ,i hope the right time will come by and by4 ,the winter1 it is said1 is the proper season2 but1 as it is better in the ,south in that season1 and it will be more profitable to be there1 ,i shall give ,albany a thorough trial and do my best4 ,if ,i should not find enough to employ me here1 ,i think ,i shall return to ,new ,york and settle there4 ,this ,i had rather not do at present1 but it may be the best that ,i can do4 ,roaming becomes more and more irksome4 ,imperious necessity alone drives me to this course4 ,don't think by this ,i am faint-hearted4 ,i shall persevere in this course1 painful as is the separation from my family1 until ,providence clearly points out my duty to return4 ,morse now turned his attention to the invention of a machine for carving marble1 from which he hoped for pecuniary success1 but success did not result from it4 ,he now went to ,new ,york to try his fortune4 ,but things were no brighter4 ,he wrote to ,lucretia3 ,my last two letters have held out to you some encouraging prospects of success here1 but now they seem darkened again4 ,i have had nothing to do this week thus far but to wait patiently4 ,i have advertised in both of the city papers that ,i should remain one week to receive applications1 but as yet it has produced no effect4444 ,i sleep in my room on the floor1 and put my bed out of sight during the day1 as at ,washington4444 ,i have been active in calling on my friends and inviting them to my room2 they have promised to come1 but as yet few have called4 ,as far as human foresight can perceive1 my prospects seem gloomy indeed4 ,the only gleam of hope--and ,i cannot underrate it--is from confidence in ,god4 ,when ,i look upward1 it calms my apprehensions for the future1 and ,i seem to hear a voice saying3 ',if ,i clothe the lilies of the field1 shall ,i not also clothe you8' ,here is my strong confidence1 and ,i will wait patiently for the direction of ,providence4 ,again he writes to his wife3 ,my cash is almost gone1 and ,i begin to feel some anxiety and perplexity to know what to do4 ,i have advertised1 and visited1 and hinted1 and pleaded1 and even asked one man to sit1 but all to no purpose4444 ,my expenses1 with the most rigid economy too1 are necessarily great2 my rent to-morrow will amount to thirty-three dollars1 and ,i have nothing to pay it with4 ,what can ,i do8 ,i have been here five weeks1 and there is not the smallest prospect now of any difference as to business4 ,he now attempted to obtain a situation in the legation about to be sent to ,mexico4 ,the place was promised1 and ,morse went to ,washington1 only to find that the expedition had been abandoned4 ,there was an occasional rift in the clouds1 as when the corporation of the city of ,new ,york commissioned ,morse to paint for them a portrait of ,general ,lafayette1 then in ,washington1 the price to be about one thousand dollars4 ,as ,sully1 ,peale1 ,inman1 and other prominent artists were competitors in the application for this picture1 to receive the commission was indeed an honor4 ,morse now wrote cheerfully to his wife3 ,when ,i consider how wonderfully things are working for the promotion of the great and long desired event1--that of being constantly with my dear family1--all unpleasant feelings are absorbed in this joyful anticipation1 and ,i look forward to the spring of the year with delightful prospects of seeing my dear family permanently settled with me in our own hired house here4 ,february #h1 #ahbe1 he wrote his wife that he had met ,lafayette1 the man whose beloved name has rung from one end of this continent to the other1 whom all flock to see1 whom all delight to honor4 ,that very day a letter was penned him1 not this time by the wife1 but by his father4 ,my affectionately beloved son3 ,mysterious are the ways of ,providence4 ,my heart is in pain and deeply sorrowful1 while ,i announce to you the sudden and unexpected death of your dear and deservedly loved wife4 ,her death proved to be an affection of the heart1 incurable had it been known4444 ,i wrote you yesterday that she was convalescent4 ,so she then appeared and so the doctor pronounced4 ,she was up about five o'clock yesterday afternoon1 to have her bed made1 as usual2 was unusually cheerful and social2 spoke of the pleasure of being with her dear husband in ,new ,york ere long2 stepped into bed herself1 fell back1 with a momentary struggle1 on her pillow2 her eyes were immediately fixed1 the paleness of death overspread her countenance1 and in five minutes more1 without the slightest motion1 her mortal life terminated4 ,it happened that1 just at this moment1 ,i was entering her chamber-door1 with ,charles in my arms1 to pay her my usual visit1 and to pray with her4 ,the nurse met me affrighted1 calling for help4 ,your mother1 the family1 and neighbors1 full of the tenderest sympathy and kindness1 and the doctor1 thronged the house in a few minutes2 everything was done that could be done1 to save her life4 ,but her appointed time had come1 and no earthly skill or power could stay the hand of death4 ,it was the ,lord who gave her to you1 the chiefest of all your earthly blessings1 and it is he that has taken her away2 and may you be enabled1 my son1 from the heart to say1 ',blessed be the name of the ,lord6' ,the heart of ,morse was well nigh broken4 ,the woman he had idolized had gone from him in a moment4 ,he wrote back to his father3 ,oh1 is it possible8 is it possible8 ,shall ,i never see my dear wife again8 ,but ,i cannot trust myself to write on the subject4 ,i need your prayers1 and those of ,christian friends1 to ,god for support4 ,i fear ,i shall sink under it4 ,oh1 take good care of her dear children6 ,your agonized son1 ,,finley4 ,travelling by stage1 he did not reach ,new ,haven till his wife had been buried a week4 ,a month later he wrote to a friend3 ,i dare not yet give myself up to the full survey of its desolating effects2 every day brings to my mind a thousand new and fond connections with dear ,lucretia1 all now ruptured4 ,i feel a dreadful void1 a heart-sickness1 which time does not seem to heal1 but rather to aggravate4 ,you know the intensity of the attachment which existed between dear ,l4 and me1 never for a moment interrupted by the smallest cloud2 an attachment founded1 ,i trust1 in the purest love1 and daily strengthening by all the motives which the ties of nature and more especially of religion furnish4 ,i found in dear ,l4 everything that ,i could wish4 ,such ardor of affection1 so uniform1 so unaffected1 ,i never saw nor read of1 but in her4 ,my fear with regard to the measure of my affection toward her1 was not that ,i might fail of 'loving her as my own flesh1' but that ,i should put her in the place of ,him who has said1 ',thou shalt have no other gods but me4' ,i felt this to be my greatest danger1 and to be saved from this idolatry was often the subject of my earnest prayers4 ,if ,i had desired anything in my dear ,l4 different from what she was1 it would have been that she had been less lovely4 ,my whole soul seemed wrapped up in her2 with her was connected all that ,i expected of happiness on earth4 ,she was but twenty-five1 and had shared only the sorrows and privations of her young husband4 ,how pitiful it seemed that she could not live to share his grand success4 ,whatever may come into a man's life afterwards1 he never forgets an affection like this4 ,it blossoms in the warm sunlight of his youth2 it never withers1 even though other flowers take root in the heart4 ,truly says ,george ,eliot3 ,there is no despair so absolute as that which comes with the first moments of our first great sorrow1 when we have not yet known what it is to have suffered and be healed1 to have despaired and to have recovered hope4 ,this despair seemed to have settled upon ,morse4 ,he went back to ,new ,york1 and now had plenty of work1 but he said1 ,after being fatigued at night1 and having my thoughts turned to my irreparable loss1 ,i am ready almost to give up4 ,the thought of seeing my dear ,lucretia1 and returning home to her1 served always to give me fresh courage and spirits whenever ,i felt worn down by the labors of the day1 and now ,i hardly know what to substitute in her place4 ,hard1 indeed1 it seemed1 that this plenty of work did not come in ,lucretia's life-time4 ,why are so many of the best and sweetest things in this world a little too late in their coming8 ,is it because perfection attained is not best for mortals8 ,about this time the ,national ,academy of ,design was organized1 and ,morse was made president1 holding this position for eighteen years1 till his work on the telegraph required his whole attention4 ,these years were extremely busy years4 ,so numerous were his sitters1 that he was obliged to send many to his artist friends4 ,in his evenings he prepared a series of lectures on the ,fine ,arts1 which he delivered to large and fashionable audiences at the ,new ,york ,athenaeum4 ,he also wrote at this time a life of ,lucretia ,maria ,davidson1 a young poet who died at ,plattsburg1 ,n4 ,y41 when she was seventeen1 and several pamphlets against the growing power of the ,romish ,church4 ,four years after the death of his wife he sailed for ,italy1 still further to study his beloved art4 ,in ,london he again met ,rogers1 the poet1--he has not the proverbial lot of the poet1--he is not poor1 for he is one of the wealthiest bankers1 and lives in splendid style1 said ,morse1--,turner1 the best landscape-painter living1 ,irving1 our secretary of legation1 and other distinguished men4 ,for three years ,morse remained in ,europe1 in ,rome becoming the friend of ,thorwaldsen1 whose portrait he painted2 in ,florence1 of ,horatio ,greenough1 the sculptor1 of ,james ,fenimore ,cooper1 and many others4 ,in ,paris1 ,morse painted the ,gallery of the ,louvre1 working from nine till four daily1 meeting ,baron ,humboldt1 and receiving the cordial hospitality of ,general ,lafayette4 ,october #a1 #ahcb1 he sailed from ,havre1 on the packet ship ,sully1 for ,new ,york4 ,that passage marked an epoch not only in the life of ,s4 ,f4 ,b4 ,morse1 but an epoch in ,american progress4 ,at the dinner-table the conversation turned upon recent discoveries in electro-magnetism1 and the experiments of ,ampere with the electro-magnet4 ,morse said1 ,if the presence of electricity can be made visible in any part of the circuit1 and he had seen that it could years before in the class-room at ,yale ,college1 ,i see no reason why intelligence may not be transmitted instantaneously by electricity4 ,he thought the subject over as he walked upon the deck1 and as he lay in his berth1 too deeply interested to sleep4 ,if intelligence could be transmitted1 it could be recorded4 ,he took from his pocket a note-book1 and thought out his alphabet of dots and lines4 ,he showed his sketches to his fellow-passengers1--not a wise thing1 as it proved1 when1 later1 one of the persons on board laid claim to the invention1 causing some years of litigation4 ,when the vessel reached ,new ,york1 ,morse said1 ,well1 captain1 should you hear of the telegraph one of these days as the wonder of the world1 remember the discovery was made on board the good ship ,sully4 ,electricity had been known and studied since early times4 ,it had been ascertained that the electric force could be stored up1 as in the ,leyden jar1 and that it could be conducted through long metallic wires4 ,the discovery of the ,voltaic pile1 or battery1 in #ahjj1 gave a great impetus to the study4 ,oersted of ,copenhagen found that the position of the magnetic needle may be changed by the electric current1 and that a magnet will induce electricity in a coil of wire4 ,schweigger of ,halle discovered that the deflection of the needle may be increased by coiling an insulated wire in a series of ovals or flat rings1 compactly disposed1 in a loop1 and conducting the current around the needle from end to end4 ,ampere developed the theory of electro-magnetism1 and proposed to the ,french ,academy in #ahbj a plan for a telegraph1 in which there was to be a needle for each letter4 ,in #ahbg ,morse had listened to a course of lectures1 given by ,prof4 ,james ,freeman ,dana1 upon these matters1 so that the subject was still fresh in his mind when he crossed the ocean in the ,sully4 ,prof4 ,joseph ,henry's important discoveries were also well known4 ,says ,prof4 ,e4 ,n4 ,horsford of ,cambridge1 ,mass41 in the admirable life of ,morse written by ,dr4 ,samuel ,irenaeus ,prime3 ,he knew generally1 when he stepped on board the ,sully1 in #ahcb1 that a soft-iron horseshoe-shaped bar of iron could be rendered magnetic while a current of galvanic electricity was passing through a wire wound round it2 and he knew that electricity had been transmitted1 apparently instantaneously1 through wires of great length1 by ,franklin and others4444 ,in the leisure of ship-life the idea of a recording electric telegraph seized ,professor ,morse's mind1 and he gave expression to his conviction that it was possible4 ,as it was possible to dispatch and to arrest the current1 he conceived that some device could be found for compelling it to manifest itself by this intermittent action1 and produce a record4 ,he knew1 for he had witnessed it years before1 that by means of a battery and an electro-magnet reciprocal motion could be produced4 ,he knew that the force which produced it could be transmitted along a wire4 ,he believed that the battery current could be made1 through an electro-magnet1 to produce physical effects at a distance4 ,he saw in his mind's eye the existence of an agent and a medium by which reciprocal motion could be not only produced1 but controlled1 at a distance4 ,the question that addressed itself to him at the outset was naturally this3 ',how can ,i make use of the simple up-and-down motion of opening and closing a circuit to write an intelligible message at one end of a wire1 and at the same time print it at the other8'444 ,like many a kindred work of genius1 it was in nothing more wonderful than in its simplicity4 ,first1 he caused a continuous ribbon or strip of paper to move under a pencil by clock-work1 that could be wound up4 ,the paper moved horizontally4 ,the pencil moved only up and down2 when resting on the paper it made a mark--if for an instant only1 a dot2 if for a longer time1 a line4 ,when lifted from the paper it left a blank4444 ,the grandeur of this wonderful alphabet of dots1 lines1 and spaces has not been fully appreciated4444 ,not one of all the brilliant scientific men who have attached their names to the history of electro-magnetism had brought the means to produce the practical registering telegraph4 ,some of them had ascended the tower that looked out on the field of conquest4 ,some of them brought keener vision than others4 ,some of them stood higher than others2 but the genius of invention had not recognized them4 ,there was needed an inventor4 ,as soon as ,morse left the ship ,sully1 and met his brothers ,richard and ,sidney1 he told them that he had made an important invention1 one that would astonish the world1 and of the success of which he was perfectly sanguine4 ,he became an inmate of ,richard's house1 living there several months4 ,from this time onward for twelve years he labored to give his telegraph to mankind2 labored in the midst of distressing poverty1 the ridicule of acquaintances1 and the indifference of the world4 ,three motherless children were dependent upon him1 but he could do little for them4 ,on the corner of ,nassau and ,beekman ,streets1 in the newspaper building erected by his brothers1--they were the editors and proprietors of the ,new ,york ,observer1--in the fifth story1 a room was assigned to him which he used for studio1 sleeping-room1 kitchen1 and workshop4 ,on one side was his cot1 on the other his tools and crude machine4 ,he whittled the models1 and then made the moulds and castings4 ,here1 from day to day1 the simplest food was brought him1 he preparing his own tea4 ,in the year #ahce1 having been appointed professor of the ,literature of the ,arts of ,design in the ,new ,york ,city ,university1 he took rooms in the third story of the university building4 ,there1 he says1 ,i immediately commenced1 with very limited means1 to experiment upon my invention4 ,my first instrument was made up of an old picture or canvas frame fastened to a table2 the wheels of an old wooden clock1 moved by a weight to carry the paper forward2 three wooden drums1 upon one of which the paper was wound and passed over the other two2 a wooden pendulum suspended to the top piece of the picture or stretching-frame1 and vibrating across the paper as it passes over the centre wooden drum2 a pencil at the lower end of the pendulum1 in contact with the paper2 an electro-magnet fastened to a shelf across the picture or stretching-frame1 opposite to an armature made fast to the pendulum2 a type rule1 and type for breaking the circuit1 resting on an endless band1 composed of carpet-binding1 which passed over two wooden rollers1 moved by a wooden crank1 and carried forward by points projecting from the bottom of the rule downward into the carpet-binding2 a lever1 with a small weight on the upper side2 and a tooth1 projecting downward at one end1 operated on by the type2 and a metallic fork1 also projecting downward over two mercury-cups2 and a short circuit of wire1 embracing the helices of the electro-magnet connected with the positive and negative poles of the battery1 and terminating in the mercury-cups4 ,morse was now so poor that he bought his food in small quantities from some grocery1 and prepared it himself4 ,he says1 ,to conceal from my friends the stinted manner in which ,i lived1 ,i was in the habit of bringing my food to my room in the evenings1 and this was my mode of life for many years4 ,in this year1 #ahce1 says ,professor ,horsford1 ,morse made his discovery of the relay1 the most brilliant of all the achievements to which his name must be forever attached4 ,it was the discovery of a means by which the current1 which through distance from its source had become feeble1 could be reenforced or renewed4 ,this discovery1 according to the different objects for which it is employed1 is variously known as the registering magnet1 the local circuit1 the marginal circuit1 the repeater1 etc4 ,it made transmission from one point on a main line through indefinitely great distances1 and through an indefinite number of branch lines1 and to an indefinite number of way-stations1 and registration at all1 possible and practicable1 from a single act of a single operator4 ,poor1 longing for money to carry forward his plans1 despondent lest some one think out a kindred machine and supplant him1 ,morse was also suffering from injustice in his art work4 ,our government having offered to ,american artists commissions to paint pictures for the panels in the ,rotunda of the ,capitol1 the friends of ,morse urged that he1 as the president of the ,national ,academy of ,design1 be one of the artists chosen by the committee4 ,john ,quincy ,adams1 ex-,president of the ,united ,states1 and one of the committee1 urged that foreign artists be allowed to compete1 stating that no ,american artists were competent for the work4 ,this1 of course1 gave offence1 and ,james ,fenimore ,cooper wrote a severe article1 in the ,new ,york ,evening ,post1 upon ,mr4 ,adams's remarks4 ,the article was attributed to ,morse1 and his name was rejected by the committee4 ,this was a great disappointment4 ,he said1 years afterward1 ,the blow ,i received from ,congress 444 has almost destroyed my enthusiasm for my art4444 ,i have not painted a picture since that decision4444 ,when ,i applied to paint one of the ,rotunda pictures1 ,i was in my full vigor4 ,i had just returned from three years' hard study in ,italy1 444 and felt a consciousness of ability to execute a work creditable to my country4 ,i hazarded everything almost for this single object4 ,when so unexpectedly ,i was repelled1 ,i staggered under the blow4 ,i have endeavored in every way to prevent its effects upon my mind2 but it is a thorn which perpetually obtrudes its point1 and would goad me to death were it not for its aspect in the light of ,god's overruling providence4 ,then all is right4 ,from time to time prominent men came to the university1 to see the telegraph4 ,they saw1 thought it wonderful1 doubted its practicability1 and did not offer to invest any money in the enterprise4 ,finally1 in #ahcg1 ,mr4 ,alfred ,vail1 a young graduate of the ,university of the ,city of ,new ,york1 became interested1 helped to construct an improved machine at his father's brass-works at ,speedwell1 ,n4 ,j41 for ,morse to take to ,washington for exhibition1 and provided the means for his going4 ,after five long years1 ,morse had finally found some one ready to help4 ,arriving at ,washington1 he obtained the use of the room of the ,committee on ,commerce1 to show his telegraph4 ,congressmen came1 wondered1 and went away doubting4 ,he now caused a respectful memorial to be presented to ,congress1 asking an appropriation of thirty thousand dollars1 to test the telegraph between two cities4 ,the petition was referred to a committee1 quietly ignored1 and ,morse heard no more concerning it4 ,he sailed for ,europe in #ahch1 to take out a patent for his work1 but could obtain none in ,england1 as ,wheatstone and ,cooke had already patented a magnetic-needle telegraph1 entirely unlike that of ,morse1 invented four years later1 says ,professor ,horsford1 but brought before the public about the same time1 #ahcg4 ,in point of active use1 ,wheatstone's preceded ,morse's telegraph by six years1 on account of the indifference of ,congress in helping the inventor4 ,in ,paris1 ,morse submitted his telegraph to the ,institute1 and ,arago1 ,humboldt1 and others were delighted with it4 ,as ,morse was sending a word from one room to the other1 ,robert ,walsh said to him1 ,the next word you may write is ',,immortality1' for the sublimity of this invention is of surpassing grandeur4 ,i see now that all physical obstacles1 which may for a while hinder1 will inevitably be overcome4 ,the problem is solved2 ,,man ,,may ,,instantly ,,converse ,,with ,,his ,,fellow-,,man ,,in ,,any ,,part ,,of ,,the ,,world4 ,morse returned to ,new ,york after eleven months1 disappointed that ,congress had done nothing1 without1 as he said1 a farthing in my pocket1 and have to borrow even for my meals4 ,in ,paris1 having learned from ,m4 ,daguerre1 the inventor of the daguerreotype1 the process1 ,morse introduced it in this country1 and earned enough by taking pictures to reimburse him for his ,european journey4 ,many crowded to his rooms to be taught1 and he cheerfully imparted the knowledge he possessed4 ,as the months went by and ,congress did nothing1 ,morse became despondent4 ,he had not the means even to pay postage on letters4 ,he said1 ,i am sick at heart4444 ,i feel at times almost ready to cast the whole matter to the winds1 and turn my attention forever from the subject4 ,the ,vails were unable to help the enterprise further1 at present4 ,morse was still teaching a few pupils at the university4 ,gen4 ,strother1 of ,virginia1 ,porte ,crayon1 thus tells of ,morse's pecuniary condition3 ,he was very poor4 ,i remember that when my second quarter's pay was due1 my remittance from home did not come as expected2 and one day the professor came in1 and said1 courteously3 ',well1 ,strother1 my boy1 how are we off for money8' ',why1 professor1' ,i answered1 ',i am sorry to say ,i have been disappointed2 but ,i expect a remittance next week4' ',next week1' he repeated1 sadly2 ',i shall be dead by that time4' ',dead1 sir8' ',yes1 dead by starvation6' ,i was distressed and astonished4 ,i said1 hurriedly3 ',would ten dollars be of any service8' ',ten dollars would save my life2 that is all it would do4' ,i paid the money1 all that ,i had1 and we dined together4 ,it was a modest meal1 but good1 and1 after he had finished1 he said3 ',this is my first meal in twenty-four hours4 ,strother1 don't be an artist4 ,it means beggary4 ,your life depends upon people who know nothing of your art1 and care nothing for you4 ,a house-dog lives better1 and the very sensitiveness that stimulates an artist to work keeps him alive to suffering4' ,even the janitor of the ,university building said to a young man who was looking for a studio for himself3 ,you will have an artist for your neighbor1 though he is not here much of late2 he seems to be getting rather shiftless1 he is wasting his time over some silly invention1 a machine by which he expects to send messages from one place to another4 ,he is a very good painter1 and might do well if he would only stick to his business2 but1 ,lord6 he added1 with a sneer of contempt1 the idea of telling by a little streak of lightning what a body is saying at the other end of it6 ,judge of my astonishment1 says the young man1 when he informed me that the 'shiftless individual1' whose foolish waste of time so much excited his commiseration1 was none other than the president of the ,national ,academy of ,design1--the most exalted position1 in my youthful artistic fancy1 it was possible for mortal to attain4 ,once more1 in some way1 ,morse obtained the money to go to ,washington1 and make another effort4 ,december #cj1 #ahdb1 a bill was at last submitted1 asking for the thirty-thousand-dollar appropriation4 ,it received much ridicule from some of the members4 ,one suggested that there should be an appropriation for mesmeric experiments2 another suggested the same for ,millerism4 ,at last the vote was taken in the ,house1 ,morse sitting in the gallery watching the result with feverish anxiety4 ,the vote stood #hi yeas to #hc nays4 ,,it ,,was ,,carried4 ,would it pass the ,senate8 ,the amount of business to be transacted made its coming up improbable4 ,the last day of the session came4 ,morse sat all the day and evening in the gallery1 and finally went to his hotel1 nearly prostrated from disappointment4 ,in the morning1 as he came down to breakfast1 ,annie ,g4 ,ellsworth1 the daughter of his old friend1 the ,commissioner of ,patents1 came toward him with a bright smile1 saying3 ,i have come to congratulate you6 ,for what1 my dear friend8 ,on the passage of your bill4 ,morse could scarcely believe the good news1 that the bill had passed1 in the last moments of the session1 without opposition4 ,he was nearly overcome with joy1 and told the young lady that she should send the first message over the first line4 ,he at once proceeded to construct the first line of his electric telegraph between ,washington and ,baltimore4 ,ezra ,cornell1 later one of the most successful constructors and largest proprietors of telegraphs1 and the founder of ,cornell ,university1 was employed at a salary of one thousand dollars a year4 ,after many perplexities1 the line was completed4 ,on ,may #bd1 #ahdd1 ,morse invited his friends to assemble in the chamber of the ,united ,states ,supreme ,court1 where he had his instrument in connection with ,baltimore4 ,annie ,ellsworth's mother had suggested to her these words from the ,bible1 for the first message3 ,what hath ,god wrought6 ,no words could have been more in accordance with ,morse's feelings4 ,taking his seat at the instrument1 he spelled out the words1 and instantly they were received by ,mr4 ,vail in ,baltimore1 who resent them the same moment to ,washington4 ,the strip of paper on which this message is printed is now in the ,athenaeum at ,hartford1 ,conn4 ,what must have been ,professor ,morse's feelings at that moment4 ,the day of triumph had come--the twelve weary years of poverty were over4 ,hereafter he was to be like one of the princes of the world4 ,a telegraph company was formed which offered to sell the telegraph to the government for one hundred thousand dollars4 ,congress refused to buy1 much to the subsequent profit of the ,morse company4 ,in less than thirty years1 the ,morse telegraph was used in ,america upon two hundred and fifty thousand miles of wire1 and in foreign countries upon six hundred thousand miles of wire1 while the telegraph receipts throughout the world were about forty million dollars yearly4 ,there were many amusing incidents in connection with this early telegraph4 ,a pretty little girl tripped into the ,washington ,city termination1 and1 after a great deal of hesitation and blushing1 asked how long it would take to send to ,baltimore4 ,the interesting appearance of the little questioner attracted ,mr4 ,morse's attention1 and he very blandly replied1 ',one second6' ',oh1 how delightful1 how delightful6' ejaculated the little beauty1 her eyes glistening with delight4 ',one second only2 here1 send this even quicker if you can4' ,and ,mr4 ,morse found in his hand a neatly folded1 gilt-edged note1 the very perfume and shape of which told a volume of love4 ',i cannot send this note1' said ,mr4 ,morse1 with some feeling2 'it is impossible4' ',oh1 do1 do6' implored the distracted girl4 ',william and ,i have had a quarrel1 and ,i shall die if he don't know that ,i forgive him in a second4 ,i know ,i shall4' ,mr4 ,morse still objected to sending the note1 when the fair one1 brightening up1 asked1 ',you will1 then1 send me on1 won't you8' ',perhaps1' said one of the clerks1 'it would take your breath away to travel forty miles in a second4' ',oh1 no1 it won't6 no1 it won't1 if it carries me to ,william6 ,the cars in the morning go so slow ,i can't wait for them4' ,mr4 ,morse now comprehended the mistake which the petitioner was laboring under1 and attempted to explain the process of conveying important information along the wires4 ,the letter-writer listened a few moments1 impatiently1 and then rolled her burning epistle into a ball1 in the excitement under which she labored1 and thrust it into her bosom4 ',it's too slow6' she finally exclaimed2 'it's too slow6 and my heart will break before ,william knows ,i forgive him2 and you are a cruel man1 ,mr4 ,morse1' said the fair creature1 the tears coming into her eyes1 'that you won't let me travel by the telegraph to see ,william4' ,and1 full of emotion1 she left the office4 ,all these years ,morse was longing for a home4 ,in #ahde he wrote his daughter1 who was now married and living in ,porto ,rico1 in the ,west ,indies1 ,i do long for the time1 if it shall be permitted1 to have you1 with your husband and little ,charles1 around me2 ,i feel my loneliness more and more keenly every day4 ,fame and money are1 in themselves1 a poor substitute for domestic happiness3 as means to that end1 ,i value them4 ,yesterday was the sad anniversary 7the twentieth7 of your dear mother's death1 and ,i spent the most of it in thinking of her4 ,two years later he purchased two hundred acres on the ,hudson ,river1 near ,poughkeepsie1 calling it ,locust ,grove1 and built a handsome and spacious ,italian villa for his residence4 ,with the telegraph in his library1 he could now converse with men in all parts of the world4 ,here he gathered his children and grandchildren around him4 ,he was now fifty-six years old4 ,fame and money had come late in life4 ,the next year he married ,miss ,sarah ,e4 ,griswold1 the daughter of his cousin1 a lady thirty years his junior4 ,his life here was peaceful and happy1 most of the day being spent in reading and writing4 ,he was very fond of nature4 ,one of his daughters writes3 ,he loved flowers4 ,he would take one in his hand1 and talk for hours about its beauty1 its wonderful construction1 and the wisdom and love of ,god in making so many varied forms of life and color to please our eyes4 ,in his later years he became deeply interested in the microscope1 and purchased one of great excellence and power4 ,for whole hours1 all the afternoon or evening1 he would sit over it1 examining flowers1 or the animalcula in different fluids4 ,then he would gather his children about him1 and give us a sort of extempore lecture on the wonders of creation1 invisible to the naked eye1 but so clearly brought to view by the magnifying power of the microscope4 ,he was very fond of animals1 cats and birds in particular4 ,he tamed a little flying-squirrel1 and it became so fond of him that it would sit on his shoulder while he was at his studies1 and would eat out of his hand1 and sleep in his pocket4 ,to this little animal he became so much attached that we took it with us to ,europe1 where it came to an untimely end1 in ,paris1 by running into an open fire4 ,in ,new ,york he bought a large house1 ,no4 #e ,west ,twenty-second ,street1 for his winter residence1 and1 on a vacant lot adjoining1 erected an elegant building for his library and study4 ,what a contrast between this and the time when ,porte ,crayon gave him ten dollars1 which ,morse said would save his life6 ,honors now poured in upon him4 ,in #ahce he had been elected a member of the ,historical ,institute of ,france4 ,in #ahcg1 a member of the ,royal ,academy of ,fine ,arts of ,belgium4 ,in #ahci the ,great ,silver ,medal of the ,academy of ,industry of ,paris was voted him4 ,in #ahda1 a corresponding member of the ,national ,institution for the ,promotion of ,science at ,washington4 ,in #ahdb1 the gold medal of the ,american ,institute4 ,in #ahde1 a corresponding member of the ,archaeological ,society of ,belgium4 ,in #ahdf1 ,doctor of ,laws by ,yale ,college4 ,in #ahdh1 the first decoration ever bestowed by the ,sultan of ,turkey upon a citizen of the ,united ,states1 ,nishan ,iftikar1 in diamonds2 he was also made a member of the ,american ,philosophical ,society1 ,philadelphia4 ,in #ahdi1 a ,fellow of the ,american ,academy of ,arts and ,sciences1 ,boston4 ,in #ahea1 a golden snuff-box containing the ,prussian golden medal for scientific merit4 ,in #aheb1 the ,great ,gold ,medal of ,arts and ,sciences from the ,king of ,wuertemberg4 ,in #ahee1 the ,great ,gold ,medal of ,science and ,art from the ,emperor of ,austria4 ,in #ahef1 the brevet and decoration as ,chevalier of the ,imperial ,order of the ,legion of ,honor1 from the ,emperor of ,france4 ,in #ahef1 the ,cross of the ,order of ,dannebrog from the ,king of ,denmark4 ,in #aheh1 a member of the ,royal ,academy of ,sciences in ,sweden4 ,in #ahei1 the order of knighthood and ,commander of the ,first ,class of the ,royal ,order of ,isabella the ,catholic1 from ,isabella ,,ii4 of ,spain4 ,in #ahfj1 ,knight of the ,tower and ,sword1 from the ,king of ,portugal4 ,in #ahfd1 ,chevalier of the ,royal ,order of ,saints ,lazaro and ,mauritio1 from ,victor ,emmanuel ,,ii41 ,king of ,italy4 ,in #ahff1 honorary member of the ,societe de ,physique et d',histoire ,naturelle of ,geneva1 ,switzerland4 ,in #aheg1 ,morse aided in the attempt to lay the ,atlantic cable1 being made electrician of the company4 ,this was eminently fitting1 as he had laid the first submarine cable1 in #ahdb1 ,october #ah2 one moonlight night in the harbor of ,new ,york ,city1 between ,castle ,garden and ,governor's ,island4 ,in #aheh1 ,france1 ,austria1 ,belgium1 the ,netherlands1 ,piedmont1 ,russia1 the ,holy ,see1 ,sweden1 ,tuscany1 and ,turkey presented ,mr4 ,morse with an honorary gratuity of four hundred thousand francs1 as a reward1 altogether personal1 of your useful labors4 ,during an extended trip in ,europe1 he was presented at the ,court of ,alexander ,,iii4 in ,russia1 and met ,baron ,humboldt at ,potsdam1 from whom he received a large photograph of himself1 on which he wrote in ,french3 ,to ,mr4 ,s4 ,f4 ,b4 ,morse1 whose philosophic and useful labors have rendered his name illustrious in two worlds4 ,the homage of the high and affectionate esteem of ,alexander ,humboldt4 ,after also visiting his daughter in the ,west ,indies1 his return to ,poughkeepsie in #ahei was made by the people a time of rejoicing4 ,crowds flocked to the station to welcome him4 ,the children of the public schools joined in the procession1 while bells rung1 flags waved1 and bands played1 as they followed the carriage of ,professor ,morse to the gateway of his residence1 which had been festooned with flowers and evergreens4 ,was ever a man more honored8 ,the world loves heroes1 though it takes very little pains to help men or women to achieve greatness4 ,in #ahff1 ,morse crossed the ocean again to give his children the opportunity of study abroad4 ,he was now seventy-five years old1 yet seemingly as vigorous as ever4 ,at the ,paris ,exposition he was one of the committee upon telegraphic instruments4 ,at ,duesseldorf1 he was received with great enthusiasm by the artists of the city4 ,he purchased there five valuable pictures1 as he was now in circumstances to be a patron of art4 ,he also purchased ,allston's celebrated painting of ,jeremiah1 for seven thousand dollars1 and gave it to ,yale ,college2 a portrait of ,allston1 at five hundred dollars1 he presented to the ,academy of ,design4 ,thus did he remember the man who had been his friend in his young manhood4 ,morse also gave to the ,union ,theological ,seminary1 in the city of ,new ,york1 ten thousand dollars1 endowing a lectureship on the ,relation of the ,bible to the ,sciences1 named in honor of his father4 ,in #ahfh1 a public dinner was given ,professor ,morse in ,new ,york1 by the distinguished men of the day4 ,chief ,justice ,chase presided1 and made an able address4 ,after recounting the discoveries of others in electricity1 not least illustrious among these illustrious men1 our countryman ,henry1 he said3 ,and it is the providential distinction and splendid honor of the eminent ,american who is our guest to-night that1 happily prepared by previous acquirements and pursuits1 he was quick to seize the opportunity1 and give to the world the first recording telegraph4 ,fortunate man6 thus to link his name forever with the greatest wonder and the greatest benefit of the age6 ,other addresses were made by ,bryant1 ,evarts1 and many prominent men4 ,in #ahga1 ,june #aj1 a bronze statue of ,professor ,morse was unveiled in ,central ,park1 the money for it being raised1 in small amounts1 from telegraphic operatives all over the country4 ,in the evening1 a brilliant reception was tendered him in the ,academy of ,music1 the following despatch being sent on his ,,original register3 ,,greeting ,,and ,,thanks ,,to ,,the ,,telegraphic ,,fraternity ,,throughout ,,the ,,land4 ,,glory ,,to ,,god ,,in ,,the ,,highest1 ,,on ,,earth ,,peace1 ,,good-,,will ,,to ,,men4 ,and then the white-haired ,morse1 now eighty years old1 took his seat at the instrument1 and signed his name to his message--,s4 ,f4 ,b4 ,morse4 ,the entire audience rose and cheered1 and many eyes filled with tears1 as he gave his farewell address4 ,the last time ,mr4 ,morse appeared in public was when he unveiled the statue of ,benjamin ,franklin in ,printing-,house ,square1 in front of the ,city ,hall1 ,january #ag1 #ahgb4 ,death came in a few weeks4 ,to his pastor1 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,adams1 he said in response to a remark concerning the goodness of ,god to him in the past1 ,the best is yet to come4 ,near the last1 when the physicians were inspecting his lungs1 and tapping upon his breast1 one said1 ,this is the way we doctors telegraph4 ,very good1 said the dying man1 and passed away1 ,april #b1 #ahgb4 ,he was buried with distinguished honors from ,madison ,square ,presbyterian ,church1 ,new ,york4 ,scientific1 philanthropic1 and religious institutions everywhere adopted resolutions of respect for his memory4 ,a solemn service was held in the hall of the ,house of the ,representatives at ,washington1 ,april #af1 with appropriate addresses from ,garfield and others4 ,an oil painting of ,professor ,morse hung in front of the main gallery1 surrounded by the historic words1 ,what hath ,god wrought6 ,telegraphic messages were sent from ,europe1 ,asia1 and ,africa1 to this memorial meeting4 ,did any of those present remember how ,congress allowed him nearly to die of despair and want1 only a few years before8 ,truly a life that reads like a romance1 in its misfortunes and its fortunes6 ,through all the days of poverty1 as well as prosperity1 ,morse preserved his earnest ,christian character1 and his childlike1 tender1 loving nature4 ,trials did not embitter him1 as they sometimes do1 and honors did not exalt him above his fellows4 ,american history does not furnish a more sublime illustration of faith in ,god and indomitable perseverance4 ,,sir ,,charles ,,lyell4 ,galileo studied and found out the truth that the earth moves around the sun1 and died recanting it4 ,buffon1 the great ,french naturalist1 studied1 and ascertained that the earth has been subject to changes which must have required millions of years4 ,he wrote3 ,the waters of the sea have produced the mountains and valleys of the land--the waters of the heavens1 reducing all to a level1 will at last deliver the whole land over to the sea1 and the sea1 successively prevailing over the land1 will leave dry new continents like those which we inhabit4 ,he was at once summoned before the ,faculty of ,theology in ,paris to recant his opinions1 saying1 ,i declare that ,i had no intention to contradict the text of ,scripture2 that ,i believe most firmly all therein related about the creation1 both as to order of time and matter of fact2 ,i abandon everything in my book respecting the formation of the earth1 and1 generally1 all which may be contrary to the narration of ,moses4 ,illustration3 ,,sir ,,charles ,,lyell4 ,a little more than a century later1 at ,kinnordy1 ,forfarshire1 ,scotland1 a boy was born1 ,charles ,lyell1 who was destined not only to make geology as fascinating to the world as a novel1 but to prove more fully and conclusively than any one had previously done that the world is not only six thousand years old1 but perhaps six thousand million years old2 and that man has lived here not for a few centuries only1 but for thousands of centuries4 ,lyell knew and felt what the ,christian world has come to feel1 that truth must and will stand1 and that there is no real conflict between science and religion4 ,charles ,lyell1 the eldest of ten children1 having two brothers and seven sisters1 was born ,november #ad1 #agig4 ,he had the early training of an educated and refined father1 a man who had devoted himself to the study of botany1 and written several works on ,dante4 ,the mother was a woman of practical common-sense1 and from her1 doubtless1 ,charles inherited that good judgment which characterized all his work and life4 ,at seven the child was sent to ,ringwood1 to a school kept by ,rev4 ,r4 ,s4 ,davies4 ,here1 being the youngest1 and one of the gentlest1 he was spared the roughness too often found in boys' schools4 ,at ten he and his brother ,tom were sent to a school in ,salisbury1 sixteen miles from ,bartley ,lodge1 whither the family had moved from ,kinnordy4 ,though they missed their favorite sport of hay-making1 they enjoyed walks to ,old ,sarum1 a famous camp of ,roman times4 ,here the boys amused themselves by heaping up piles of chalk flints on the opposite ridges1 and letting them roll down1 and dash against each other like two armies4 ,the teacher1 ,dr4 ,radcliffe1 was called ,bluebeard1 from having his fourth wife4 ,the boys1 however1 liked him1 because he had the rare merit of being impartial1 while they were never tired of annoying another teacher1 who had his favorites4 ,says ,lyell of these early days1 ,monsieur ,borelle's room was within one in which ,i and eight others slept4 ,one night1 when we were very angry with him for having spatted us all round with a ruler1 for a noise in the schoolroom which only one had made1 and no one would confess1 we determined to be revenged4 ,we balanced a great weight of heavy volumes on the top of the door1 so that no one could open it without their falling on his head4 ,he was caught like a mouse in a trap1 and threw a book in a rage at each boy's head1 as they lay shamming sound asleep4 ,another stratagem of mine and young ,prescott 7son of ,sir ,g4 ,p47 was to tie a string across the room from the legs of two beds1 so as to trip him up2 from this string others branched off1 the ends of which were fixed to the great toes of two sound sleepers1 so that when ,monsieur drew the lines1 they woke1 making a great outcry4 ,at last we wearied him out1 and he went and slept elsewhere4 ,i conclude that there were far too many hours allotted to sleep at this school1 for at all others we were glad to sleep after the labors of the day1 and got punished for late rising in the morning1 and being too late for roll-call4 ,here1 on the contrary1 a great many of our best sports were at night1 particularly one1 which1 as very unique and one which lasted all the time ,i was there1 ,i must describe4 ,it consisted of fighting1 either in single combat1 or whole rooms against others1 with bolsters4 ,these were shaken until all the contents were at one end1 and then they were kept there by a girth of string or stockings4 ,this made a formidable weapon1 the empty end being the handle1 and the ball at the other would hit a good blow1 or coil round a fellow's leg1 and by a jerk pull him up so that he fell backwards4444 ,the invading party were always to station a watch at the head of the stairs1 to give notice of the approach of ',bluebeard1' for he was particularly severe against this warfare1 though he never succeeded in putting it down4 ,he used to come up with a cane1 which1 as none were clothed1 took dire effect on those caught out of bed4 ,he had a fortunate twist in his left foot1 which made his step recognizable at a distance1 and his shoe to creak loudly4 ,this offence was high treason1 not only because it led to broken heads1 and made a horrible row in the night1 but because ,mrs4 ,radcliffe found that it made her bolsters wear out most rapidly4 ,charles grew ill at ,salisbury1 and was taken home for three months4 ,i began1 he says1 to get annoyed with ennui1 which did not improve my health1 for ,i was always most exceedingly miserable if unemployed1 though ,i had an excessive aversion to work unless forced to it4 ,it happened that1 a little before this time1 my father had for a short time exchanged botany for entomology1 a fit which only lasted just long enough to induce him to purchase some books on the latter subject1 after which he threw it up2 principally1 ,i believe1 from a dislike to kill the insects4 ,i did not like this department of the subject either4444 ,collecting insects was just the sort of desultory occupation which suited me at that time1 as it gave sufficient employment to my mind and body1 was full of variety1 and to see a store continually increasing gratified what in the cant phrase of the phrenologist is termed the 'accumulative propensity4' ,i soon began to know what was rare1 and to appreciate specimens by this test4 ,in the evenings ,i used to look over ',donovan's ,insects1' a work in which a great number of the ,british species are well given in colored plates1 but which has no scientific merit4 ,this was a royal road of arriving at the names1 and required no study1 but mere looking at pictures4 ,at first ,i confined my attention to the ,lepidoptera 7butterflies1 moths1 etc471 as the most beautiful1 but soon became fond of watching the singular habits of the aquatic insects1 and used to sit whole mornings by a pond1 feeding them with flies1 and catching them if ,i could4 ,i had no companion to share this hobby with me1 no one to encourage me in following it up1 yet my love for it continued always to increase1 and it afforded a most varied source of amusement4444 ,instead of sympathy1 ,i received from almost every one else beyond my home either ridicule1 or hints that the pursuits of other boys were more manly4444 ,the disrepute in which my hobby was held had a considerable effect upon my character1 for ,i was very sensitive of the good opinions of others1 and therefore followed it up almost by stealth2 so that1 although ,i never confessed to myself that ,i was wrong1 but always reasoned myself into a belief that the generality of people were too stupid to comprehend the interest of such pursuits2 yet1 ,i got too much in the habit of avoiding being seen1 as if ,i was ashamed of what ,i did4 ,the temporary ill-health of the schoolboy led to the long hours of observation of nature2 these led to a devotion to science1 which brought a worldwide fame4 ,thus1 often1 that which seems a hindrance in life proves a blessing in the end4 ,at twelve1 ,charles was placed in a school where there were seventy boys1 with much fagging and fighting4 ,that this roughness was not in accordance with his noble and refined nature is shown by his words1 years afterwards3 ,whatever some may say or sing of the happy recollections of their school days1 ,i believe the generality1 if they told the truth1 would not like to have them over again1 or would consider them as less happy than those which follow4444 ,the recollection of it makes me bless my stars ,i have not to go through it again4 ,my ambition1 he says1 during the second half-year was excited by finding myself rising near the top of a class of fifteen boys in which ,i was2 and when miserable1 as ,i often was1 with the kicks and cuffs ,i received1 ,i got into a useful habit of thinking myself happy when ,i got a high number in the class-paper4 ,each year he received a prize for speaking1 and often prizes for ,latin and ,english original composition4 ,at seventeen young ,lyell entered ,exeter ,college1 ,oxford4 ,he still devoted many hours to entomology1 and took some honors in classics4 ,a book1 as is often the case1 had already helped to shape his life4 ,he had found and read1 in his father's library1 ,bakewell's ,geology1 and was greatly excited over the views there expressed about the antiquity of the earth4 ,dr4 ,buckland1 ,professor of ,geology at ,oxford1 was then at the height of his fame1 and ,lyell at once attended a course of his lectures and took notes4 ,college life was having its influence over the youth1 for he wrote to his father3 ,it is the seeing the superiority of others that convinces one how much is to be and must be done to get any fame2 and it is this which spurs the emulation1 and feeds that ',atmosphere of ,learning1' which ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds admirably describes as 'floating round all public institutions1 and which even the idle often breathe in1 and then wonder how they came by it4' ,and yet ,lyell1 like most students1 found it a difficult matter to decide what was best for a life-pursuit4 ,his father wished him to study law4 ,in reply1 the son says3 ,as for the confidence and quickness which you were speaking of1 as one of the chief requisites of the ,bar1 ,i don't know whether intercourse with the world will supply it1 but ,god knows1 ,i have little enough of it now in company4 ,during his college course1 ,lyell made a journey with some friends to ,staffa1 and wrote a poem upon the place1 and then1 with his parents and his eldest sisters1 travelled in ,france1 ,switzerland1 and ,italy4 ,here1 in the midst of art and beautiful scenery1 his mind still turned toward science4 ,he thought the collections in comparative anatomy in the ,jardin des ,plantes1 in ,paris1 would tempt any one to take up ardently the study of anatomy4 ,in ,cuvier's lecture-room1 filled with fossil remains1 he found three glorious relics of a former world1 which have added several new genera to the ,mammalia4 ,in the ,jura chain he concluded the limestone to be of a different age from what we passed through before ,dijon1 for the latter abounded in organic remains1 whereas ,i could not discover one fossil in the ,jura4 ,by the roadside ,i picked up many beautiful petrifactions1 which must be forming daily here1 where the water is charged plentifully with lime4 ,the rock of the ,col de ,balme1 he said1 is a brown1 ligneous slate1 with some veins of white quartz intersecting it3 the appearance is very curious4 ,on the top was the richest carpet of turf ,i ever saw1 spangled with thousands of the deep blue gentian1 red trefoil1 and other mountain flowers4 ,nothing said about law1 but much about rocks6 ,at twenty-two ,lyell graduated from ,oxford4 ,the same year he became a ,fellow of the ,geological ,society of ,london1 and also of the ,linnaean ,society1 and1 in accordance with his father's preference1 began the study of law in ,london4 ,but the way to success is almost never easy4 ,lyell's eyes became very weak1 and he was obliged to desist from reading1 and go to ,rome with his father4 ,many a young man1 well-to-do1 would have given up a profession1 preferring a life of leisure4 ,not so ,charles ,lyell4 ,on his return he inspected ,romney ,marsh1 an extensive tract of land1 formerly covered by the sea1 and also the ,isle of ,wight1 and wrote his first scientific paper on the geology of some rivers near his native place in ,forfarshire4 ,at twenty-six he was made secretary of the ,geological ,society4 ,already such men as ,dr4 ,buckland felt the deepest interest in the enterprising young student1 who was devoting himself to original research4 ,and now he was going to ,paris1 to perfect himself in ,french4 ,dr4 ,buckland and others gave him letters of introduction to such persons as ,humboldt and ,cuvier4 ,fortunate young ,lyell6 ,such men would fan the flame of aspiration to a white heat4 ,once in ,paris1 the stimulus of great minds did its accustomed work--developed and beautified another mind4 ,he attended a levee at ,alexander ,brongniart's1 who among the ,english geologists has the highest reputation both for knowledge and agreeable manners of all the ,french savans1 he wrote home to his father4 ,again he wrote3 ,my reception at ,cuvier's last ,saturday will make me feel myself at liberty to attend his soirees next week1 and they are a great treat4 ,he was very polite1 and invited me to attend the ,institute on ,monday4 ,there he introduced me to several geologists1 and put me in an excellent place for hearing4444 ,humboldt addressed me1 as ,duvau had done1 with1 ',i have the honor of being familiar with your name1 as your father has labored with no small success in botany1 particularly the cryptogamiae4444' ,he was not a little interested in hearing me detail the critiques which our geologists have made on his last geological work1--a work which would give him a rank in science if he had never published aught besides4 ,he made me a present of his work1 and ,i was surprised to find how much he has investigated the details of our ,english strata4444 ,he appears to work hard at astronomy1 and lives in a garret for the sake of that study4 ,the ,king of ,prussia invited him to adorn his court at the last ,congress2 thence he went to ,vesuvius just after the grand eruption1 and brought away much geological information on that head1 which he was good enough to communicate to me4 ,he speaks ,english well4 ,i attend lectures at the ,jardin du ,roi1 on mining1 geology1 chemistry1 and zooelogy1 all gratis6 by the first men4444 ,i have promised ,humboldt to pass the afternoon to-day in his study4 ,his new edition serves as a famous lesson to me1 in the comparison of ,england and the ,continent4 ,there are few heroes who lose so little by being approached as ,humboldt4 ,who shall estimate the value of such a friendship to a young man6 ,it was a foregone conclusion that ,lyell and ,agassiz and ,liebig1 and others1 who sought the society of such as ,humboldt1 and were willing to work1 would come to greatness4 ,cuvier introduced ,lyell to ,professor ,van ,breda of ,ghent1 who gave him letters to all the ,dutch universities1--,ghent1 ,amsterdam1 ,haarlem1 and ,leyden4 ,the next year1 #ahbd1 ,lyell made a geological tour with ,m4 ,constant ,prevost1 a noted ,french geologist1 from ,london to ,bristol and ,land's ,end1 and with ,dr4 ,buckland1 in ,scotland1 where they dined with the far-famed ,francis ,jeffrey1 editor of the ,edinburgh ,review4 ,lyell's eyes still troubled him so that he could scarcely write letters home2 but he was laying up a store of knowledge from which the world was to profit in a few years4 ,in #ahbe1 his eyes having improved1 he resumed his law study1 and was admitted to the bar4 ,but he could not give up geological work1 and published several papers1--one on a dike of serpentine1 another on shell marl and fossil fruit1 and others on plastic clay in ,hampshire and the fresh-water strata of ,hants4 ,he had been made a ,fellow of the ,royal ,society at twenty-nine1 and was one of the writers in the ,quarterly ,review4 ,the law work went on1 but it was easy to see where his heart was4 ,he wrote a friend that he had been devouring ,lamarck3 ,that the earth is quite as old as he supposes has long been my creed1 and ,i will try before six months are over to convert the readers of the ',quarterly' to that heterodox opinion4444 ,buckland has got a letter from ,india about modern hyaenas1 whose manners1 habitations1 diet1 etc41 are everything he could wish1 and as much as could be expected had they attended regularly three courses of his lectures4 ,at thirty-one ,lyell had made up his mind that there is most real independence in that class of society who1 possessing moderate means1 are engaged in literary and scientific hobbies2 he had given up the law1 and planned the book that was to make him famous--,principles of ,geology4 ,he travelled now extensively in ,italy and ,france1 studying volcanoes1 glaciers1 and fossils4 ,at ,auvergne1 he began work with his dear friend ,murchison at six o'clock in the morning1 and neither heat nor fatigue has stopped us an hour1 he writes to his parents4 ,i have really gained strength so much1 that ,i believe that ,i and my eyes were never in such a condition before2 and ,i am sure that six hours in bed1 which is all we allow1 and exercise all day long for the body1 and geology for the mind1 444 is the best thing that can be invented in this world for my health and happiness4 ,eighteen hours of labor daily1 and yet he was happy6 ,he had found his life-work now4 ,to a sister he writes about the beetles at ,aix4 ,he cannot be laughed out of this study as when a boy4 ,he has been to ,parma1 to see ,professor ,guidotti's finest collection of fossil-shells in ,italy1 444 spending three days1 from six o'clock in the morning till night1 exchanging our respective commodities4 ,to his sisters he writes all his discoveries in rocks and fossils1 with the enthusiasm of a boy4 ,i rode to the upper ,val d',arno1--a famous day for me1--an old lacustrine deposit1 corresponding delightfully with our ,angus lakes in all but age and species of animals2 same genera of shells4 ,they have just extracted the fortieth skeleton of hippopotamus2 have got about twenty elephants1 one or two mastodons1 a rhinoceros and stags1 and oxen out of number4444 ,at ,rome ,i found the geology of the city itself exceedingly interesting4 ,the celebrated seven hills1 of which you have read1 and which in fact are nine1 are caused by the ,tiber and some tributaries1 which have cut open valleys almost entirely through volcanic ejected matter1 covered by travertine containing lacustrine shells4 ,he made the ascent of ,etna1 and sketched the crater4 ,inside the crater1 near the lip1 were huge masses of ice1 between which and the scoriae and lava of the crater issued hot sulphurous vapors1 which ,i breathed in copiously2 and for six hours after ,i could not1 even after eating and drinking1 get the horrid taste out of my mouth1 for my lungs had got full of it4 ,the wind was so high1 that the guide held my hat while ,i drew2 but though the head was cold1 my feet got so hot in the cinders1 that ,i was often alarmed that my boots would be burnt4 ,in #ahcj1 the first volume of ,principles of ,geology1 being an ,attempt to ,explain the ,former ,changes of the ,earth's ,surface by ,reference to ,causes now in ,operation1 was published4 ,it will not pretend1 he wrote to ,murchison1 to give even an abstract of all that is known in geology1 but it will endeavor to establish the principles of reasoning in the science2 and all my geology will come in as illustration of my views of those principles1 and as evidence strengthening the system necessarily arising out of the admission of such principles1 which1 as you know1 are neither more nor less than that no causes whatever have from the earliest time to which we can look back1 to the present1 ever acted1 but those now acting4444 ,i must go to ,germany4444 ,their language must be learnt2 the places to which their memoirs relate1 visited2 and then you may see1 as ,i may1 to what extent we may indulge dreams of eminence1 at least as original observers4 ,he1 too1 like all the other great ones1 indulged in dreams of eminence4 ,did ever man or woman achieve anything worthy without these dreams8 ,he had worked earnestly upon the ,principles1 which showed wonderful research1 study1 and thought4 ,he said1 ,the facts which are given in a few sentences require weeks of reading to obtain4444 ,by the aid of a good amanuensis1 my eyes hold out well4 ,the sale of the book was large and satisfactory4 ,it was1 of course1 opposed1 from its advanced views as to the age of the world1 but ,lyell wisely made no reply4 ,he said1 ,i have sworn to myself that ,i will not go to the expense of giving time to combat in controversy4 ,it is an interminable work4 ,a great lesson1 learned early4 ,in #ahca he visited ,germany4 ,now he wrote home not only to his family1 but to another1 who was hereafter to brighten and beautify his life--,mary ,horner1 the daughter of a prominent scientist4 ,to great personal beauty she added unusual mental ability4 ,wise man indeed was ,charles ,lyell to have known1 what some fail to know beforehand1 that intellect demands intellect for the best companionship4 ,he wrote to her3 ,i am sure you will work at it 7the ,german language7 with more zeal if you believe you can help me by it1 as ,i labor with greater spirit1 now that ,i regard myself as employed for you as well as for myself4 ,not that ,i am at all sanguine about the pecuniary profits that ,i shall ever reap1 but ,i feel that if ,i could have fair play for the next ten years1 ,i could gain a reputation that would make a moderate income for the latter part of my life1 yield me a command of society1 and a respect that would entitle me to rest a little on my oars1 and enable me to help somewhat those ,i love4444 ,as to geology having half of my heart1 ,i hope ,i shall be able to give my whole soul to it1 with that enthusiasm by which alone any advance can be made in any science1 or1 indeed1 in any profession4 ,in #ahcb ,lyell was made professor of geology in ,king's ,college1 ,london1 which position he resigned later1 because he wished the power of commanding time to increase his knowledge and fame4 ,this year also1 ,july #ab1 when he was thirty-five1 he was married to ,mary ,horner1 and made a tour up the valley of the ,rhine4 ,the earnest life was now more earnest and busy than ever4 ,he said1 ,i am never so happy as when1 at the end of a week1 ,i feel ,i have employed every day in a manner that will tell to the rest of my life4 ,would that all of us could live after so noble a plan6 ,unless ,i can feel that ,i am working to some decided end1 such as that of fame1 money1 or partly both1 ,i cannot be quite happy1 or cannot feel a stimulus to that strenuous application without which ,i should not remain content4 ,he had learned what strenuous application means1 and knew that there is no success without it4 ,when congratulated by his friends in not looking older for his hard work1 he said1 ,the way to do much and not grow old is1 to be moderate in not going out1 to work a few hours1 or half-hours1 at a time1 444 and to go to bed at eleven o'clock4 ,he would not accept many invitations socially4 ,a man should have some severity of character1 and be able to refuse invitations1 etc41 he said4 ,the fact is1 that to become great in science1 a man must be nearly as devoted as a lawyer1 and must have more than mere talent4444 ,i think ,i never do so much as when ,i have fought a battle not to go out4 ,those who have written books will appreciate this statement1 and recall the many days when they have closed the shutters and worked1 though they longed to be out-of-doors in the sunlight4 ,in #ahcc1 the year after his marriage1 he gave by invitation a course of seven lectures before the ,royal ,institution1 a high honor4 ,in #ahcd1 he passed several months in ,sweden1 and wrote back to his dearest ,mary1--,i have been ten hours without a word with my love1 but thinking of her more than half the time1 and comforting myself that she is less alone than ,i am4 444 ,he kept a journal for her of his daily work4 ,it is now twenty-five days that we have been separated1 and ,i have often thought of what you said1 that the active occupation in which ,i should constantly be engaged would give me a great advantage over you4 ,i trust1 however1 that you also have been actively employed4 ,at leisure moments ,i have done some things towards planning my next volume4 ,it will be necessary for us to have a work together at fossils at ,kinnordy1 first1 and then in town1 and then in ,paris4 ,thus fully had the young wife entered into his studies4 ,in #ahce1 having received the gold medal of the ,royal ,society1 for his ,principles of ,geology1--now in its fourth edition1 which ,sir ,john ,herschel said he had read three times1--he was elected president of the ,geological ,society of ,london1 and made extensive researches in ,switzerland1 ,germany1 and ,scotland4 ,in #ahda1 already famous as well as beloved1 ,lyell was invited to give twelve lectures before the ,lowell ,institute1 in ,boston4 ,he and his wife spent thirteen months in the ,united ,states1 studying the country geologically2 its social life1 its politics1 and our benevolent and educational institutions4 ,between two and three thousand persons came1 both morning and evening1 to listen to the distinguished scholar1 who had travelled almost the world over to study his beloved science4 ,close friendships were formed with some of our most prominent men1 like ,prescott and ,ticknor4 ,lyell visited the great lakes1 and compared the supposed ancient boundaries of ,lake ,ontario1 when it was one hundred and fifty feet higher1 with its present shore4 ,he made a careful study of ,niagara ,falls1 which cuts its deep gorge toward ,lake ,ontario1 for seven miles1 and estimated that it wore away a foot a year4 ,if so1 he argued that at least thirty-five thousand years have passed since the river began to cut its passage between the high rocky walls4 ,what would ,i give1 said ,lyell1 for a daguerrotype of the scene as it was four thousand1 and again forty thousand years ago6 ,even four centuries would have been very important4 ,authorities differ as to the rate of the recession of the falls4 ,some estimate an inch instead of a foot yearly1 requiring a period of more than four hundred thousand years4 ,in #ahde1 ,lyell published his ,travels in ,north ,america1 with ,geological ,observations1 and in ,september of the same year1 returned again to our country1 spending nine months in travel and study1 and bringing out later1 in #ahdi1 his ,second ,visit to the ,united ,states of ,north ,america4 ,already his ,elements of ,geology had appeared1 which went through several editions4 ,a seventh edition of the ,principles had been published4 ,he had also been knighted by the ,queen1 for his rare scholarship4 ,honored at home and abroad1 working ardently and earnestly1 often with failing sight1 he had already won for himself the eminence of which he had dared to dream years before4 ,of course he was welcomed at all great gatherings4 ,macaulay and ,hallam1 ,milmore and ,mrs4 ,somerville1 ,rogers1 and scores of others were often at his home4 ,in #ahea1 he was appointed one of the ,royal ,commissioners for the first ,great ,exhibition held in ,hyde ,park1 ,london1 and a year later gave a second course of lectures at the ,lowell ,institute1 ,boston4 ,so kindly and cordially had he written concerning us and our country1 that he received the heartiest welcome4 ,he had carried out in his life what he wrote to beautiful ,mary ,horner1 twenty years before3 ,i hope we shall both of us contrive to cultivate a disposition--which ,david ,hume said was better than a fortune of one thousand pounds a year--to look on the bright side of things4 ,i think ,i shall1 and ,i believe you will4 ,the sweet-natured and great-minded man had looked on the bright side of ,america1 and seen the good rather than the evil4 ,he believed in our future4 ,when ,prescott died1 to whom he was devotedly attached1 he said3 ,from such a soil and in such an atmosphere1 great literary men must continue to spring up4 ,all through our ,civil ,war1 he had known and loved us so well1 that he was1 like ,john ,bright1 our constant advocate4 ,he deprecated the course of some of the ,english newspapers4 ,the integrity of the empire1 he said1 and the non-extension and for the last two years the extinction of slavery constitute to my mind better grounds for a protracted struggle than those for which any war in our time1 perhaps in all history1 has been waged4444 ,i am in hopes that the struggle in ,america will rid the country in the course of twenty years of that great curse to the whites1 slave labor1 and1 if so1 it may be worth all it will cost in blood and treasure4444 ,had the ,states been dismembered1 there would have been endless wars1 more activity than ever in breeding slaves in ,america1 and a renewal of the ,african slave-trade1 and the future course of civilization retarded in that continent in a degree which would not1 in my judgment1 be counterbalanced by any adequate advantage which ,europe would gain by the ,united ,states becoming relatively less strong4444 ,i believe that if a small number of our statesmen had seen what ,i had seen of ,america1 they would not have allowed their wishes for dismemberment to have biassed their judgment of the issue so much4 ,in #ahec1 at the request of his government1 he came to ,new ,york1 as one of the commissioners to the ,international ,exhibition4 ,of course1 now1 wherever he travelled1 either in ,europe or ,america1 he met the distinguished1 and was honored by them4 ,he was the friend of ,berzelius1 the noted chemist of ,sweden1 and of the great ,liebig of ,germany4 ,professor ,bunsen of ,heidelberg said1 that all his taste for geology had been derived from ,lyell's books4 ,during the next few years1 he was much in ,holland1 ,france1 and ,germany1 preparing for the publication of another great work in #ahfc1 the ,antiquity of ,man4 ,he had made a careful study of the ancient ,swiss ,lake-dwellings1 erected on piles in the midst of the water1 connected with the land by bridges4 ,on ,lake ,neuchatel it is estimated that there were more than forty such circular houses4 ,at ,wangen1 near ,stein1 on ,lake ,constance1 it is believed forty thousand piles were used4 ,some five thousand objects have been found1 comprising flax1 not woven1 but plaited2 carbonized wheat1 and the bones of the dog1 ox1 sheep1 and goat4 ,the arrow-heads1 hatchets1 and the like1 belong to the stone age1 which geologists place1 at the least1 seven thousand years ago4 ,at ,zurich one human skull was found belonging to this early stone age4 ,no traveller should pass through ,zurich without seeing these memorials of a people who lived in the dawn of civilization1 when the world was being made ready for the more perfect man4 ,lyell had studied also the ,danish kitchen-middens1 familiar to those who have been carefully over the museums at ,copenhagen4 ,these shell-mounds1 the refuse heaps of this ancient race1 are sometimes one thousand feet long and two hundred wide4 ,as far back as the time of the ,romans the ,danish isles were covered with magnificent beech forests4 ,in the bronze age there were no beech trees1 but oaks4 ,in the stone age the ,scotch fir prevailed1 and thousands of years must have elapsed while these giant forests succeeded each other4 ,the delta and alluvial plain of the ,mississippi ,lyell found to consist of sediment covering an area of thirty thousand square miles1 several hundred feet deep4 ,taking the amount deposited annually1 it would require from fifty to one hundred thousand years to produce the present deposits4 ,the coral reefs of ,florida1 built up at the rate of one foot in a century1 each reef adding ten miles to the coast1 have required1 according to ,agassiz1 at least one hundred and thirty-five thousand years for building4 ,human remains in a bluff on the shores of ,lake ,monroe1 in ,florida1 he shows to be at least ten thousand years old4 ,under the streets of ,glasgow1 ,scotland1 seventeen canoes have been dug up1 one in a vertical position1 as if it had sunk in a storm1 with the prow uppermost4 ,twelve canoes one hundred yards back from the river were found nineteen feet beneath the surface4 ,almost all were single oak trees1 hollowed out by blunt tools1 probably stone axes1 aided by fire1 relics of the stone age4 ,in caverns near ,liege1 ,france1 human bones have been found1 with the cave-bear1 elephant1 rhinoceros1 and other species now extinct4 ,skulls found in these primeval caves1 especially one near ,duesseldorf1 called the ,neanderthal1 is the most brutal of all known human skulls1 resembling those of the apes4 ,these rude men probably were living at the same time1 or even later1 than the makers of the refuse heaps of ,denmark4 ,wales has been under the sea to the depth of fourteen hundred feet1 as proved by glacial shells2 its submergence and reelevation would require1 by careful computation1 about two hundred and twenty-four thousand years4 ,lyell showed that the ,alps1 ,andes1 and ,himalaya ,mountains were all elaborated under water4 ,the ,alps have acquired four thousand1 and even1 in some places1 more than ten thousand feet of their present altitude since the commencement of the ,eocene 7dawn of recent7 period4444 ,it is not too much to say that every spot which is now dry land has been sea at some former period1 and every part of the space now covered by the deepest ocean has been land4 ,the present distribution of land and water encourages us to believe that almost every conceivable transformation in the external form of the earth's crust may have been gone through4 ,in one epoch the land may have been chiefly equatorial2 in another1 for the most part polar and circumpolar4 ,lyell showed also the great age of the world by the changes which have taken place in climate4 ,in ,greenland are a multitude of fossil plants1 which show that it formerly enjoyed a mild and genial climate4 ,fossil tulip and walnut trees have been found within the ,arctic circle4 ,on the ,north ,american continent1 between the ,arctic circle and the forty-second parallel of latitude1 said ,lyell1 we meet with signs of ice-action on a scale as grand1 if not grander than in ,europe4 ,the drift covered from the ,atlantic border of ,new ,england and ,labrador westward to ,dakota and ,lake ,winnipeg1 and farther north1 across the continent4 ,some stones in this bed of ice were thirty feet square1 weighing over four million pounds4 ,some boulders from the ,alps1 weighing three thousand tons each1 are now found on the ,juras4 ,it must1 ,i think1 said ,lyell1 be conceded that the period required for the coming-on of the greatest cold1 and for its duration when most intense1 and the oscillations to which it was subject1 as well as the retreat of the glaciers and the 'great thaw1' or disappearance of snow1 from many mountain-chains where the snow was once perpetual1 required not tens1 but hundreds1 of thousands of years4 ,in ,arctic ,siberia herds of elephants must have roamed1 as their bodies1 covered with hair and flesh1 have been dug up in recent years4 ,great ,britain and ,europe have been much warmer than now4 ,our own immense coal fields show a former tropical climate1 with their great tree-ferns and tree-rushes1 while the remains of reindeers have been found in ,connecticut4 ,no wonder ,lyell became fascinated with the history of the changes of this planet1 and the life of man before historic times4 ,a great book seemed open to him1 and he studied it by night and by day3 the ,archaean ,time--no life2 ,paleozoic ,time1 including the ,silurian ,age1 with its shells and trilobites2 the ,devonian1 with its fishes2 ,carboniferous1 with its coal plants2 ,mesozoic ,time1 including the ,reptilian ,age with its reptiles2 ,cenozoic ,time1 including the ,mammalian or ,tertiary1 with its mammals1 and ,quaternary1 or age of man4 ,paleozoic means ancient life2 ,mesozoic1 middle life2 ,cenozoic1 recent life4 ,lyell divided the ,tertiary strata into three groups3 ,eocene1 recent dawn2 ,miocene1 less recent2 ,pliocene1 more recent4 ,in the ,eocene ,age ,great ,britain was sub-tropical1 and1 in ,north ,america1 ,vermont was like ,north ,carolina in temperature4 ,then came the ,glacial ,period1 with ice probably five thousand feet thick over ,new ,england4 ,then the ,champlain ,period1 with its floods1 continents depressed1 and climate warm1 followed in ,europe by a second ,glacial ,period4 ,the ,antiquity of ,man had an extensive sale4 ,honors were now showered upon ,sir ,charles ,lyell4 ,he was offered the ,presidency of the ,royal ,society1 and a seat in ,parliament for the ,university of ,london1 but declined both4 ,oxford ,university had already conferred upon him the degree of ,d4 ,c4 ,l41 and the ,institute of ,france had made him corresponding member4 ,by request of the queen1 he visited her at ,osborne1 she having made him a baronet4 ,emperor ,william conferred upon him the ,order of ,merit1 given also to ,humboldt1 and the ,london ,royal ,society1 its highest honor1 the ,copley gold medal4 ,in the spring of #ahgc1 his dearest ,mary died1 leaving him heart-broken4 ,she was mourned in ,america as well as ,europe4 ,the ,boston ,advertiser said1 ,strength and sweetness were hers1 both in no common measure4444 ,she became to her husband not merely the truest of friends1 and the most affectionate and sympathizing of companions1 but a very efficient helper4 ,she was frank1 generous1 and true2 her moral instincts were high and pure2 she was faithful and firm in friendship4444 ,this woman so widely informed1 so true1 so strong1 so brave1 seemed all compact of softness1 sweetness1 and gentleness2 a very flower that had done no more than drink the sunshine and the dew4 ,in her smile1 her greeting1 the tones of her voice1 there was a charm which cannot be described1 but which all who knew her have felt and will recall4444 ,during the war there was not a woman or a man in ,england that stood by the ,union and the government more ardently and fearlessly than she4 ,lady ,lyell was an efficient linguist1 and a woman of unusual mental power4 ,the success of her husband was in part the result of her lovely character4 ,had she sought society while he needed quiet for his work1 had she been fond of dress when their income was limited and necessarily used in his extensive travels1 his life might have been a failure4 ,they had what ,tolstoi well calls the friendship of the soul2 identity of sentiment and similarity of ideal4 ,too often in this world persons marry opposites1 and walk1 alas6 in opposite directions all their lives4 ,lyell now worked on1 for he said he must carry out what he had planned with her4 ,in #ahgb the eleventh edition of the ,principles appeared4 ,lyell1 though formerly an opponent1 had become convinced of the truth of evolution1 advocated by his devoted friend ,darwin1 and was proud of our own distinguished botanist ,asa ,gray1 whose articles1 he said1 were the ablest1 and1 on the whole1 grappling with the subject1 both as a naturalist and metaphysician1 better than any one else on either side of the ,atlantic4 ,lyell believed ever in an infinite and eternal ,being4 ,he said1 ,in whatever direction we pursue our researches1 whether in time or space1 we discover everywhere the clear proofs of a ,creative intelligence1 and of his foresight1 wisdom1 and power4 ,he used to quote ,professor ,agassiz1 who said1 ,whenever a new and startling fact is brought to light in science1 people first say1 ',it is not true1' then that 'it is contrary to religion1' and lastly that 'everybody knew it before4' ,for the last ten years of his life1 unable to use his eyes to any great extent1 ,lyell had the assistance1 as secretary1 of the able author of the ,fairy ,land of ,science1 ,miss ,arabella ,buckley1 now ,mrs4 ,fisher4 ,and yet he accomplished more than most people with the best of eyes4 ,two years after his wife's death1 while at work on the twelfth edition of the ,principles1 the end came1 ,february #bb1 #ahge4 ,he was buried in ,westminster ,abbey1 beside his friend ,sir ,john ,herschel1--the ,duke of ,argyll1 ,professor ,huxley1 and other noted men acting as pall-bearers4 ,said the ,dean of ,westminster1 in the funeral sermon preached in the ,abbey1 ,he followed truth with a zeal as sanctified as ever fired the soul of a missionary1 and with a humility as child-like as ever subdued the mind of a simple scholar4444 ,from early youth to extreme old age1 it was to him a solemn religious duty to be incessantly learning1 constantly growing1 fearlessly correcting his own mistakes1 always ready to receive and reproduce from others that which he had not in himself4 ,science and religion for him not only were not divorced1 but were one and indivisible4 ,truly said ,tyndall1 ,huxley1 and others1 ,for the last twenty-five years he has been the most prominent geologist in the world2 equally eminent for the extent of his labors and the breadth of his philosophical views4 ,to the last ,sir ,charles ,lyell kept his affectionate1 tender heart1 with gentle and kindly manners4 ,he was fair to his opponents1 and appreciative of all talent4 ,he took time to help others4 ,he urged the name of ,agassiz as the lecturer before the ,lowell ,institute1 ,boston1 and we all know the grand results of his coming4 ,those who have no time to help others usually fail of help when their own time of need comes4 ,lyell was singularly free from vanity1 egotism1 or jealousy4 ,he loved nature devotedly1 the grandeur of the sea especially impressing him2 he never tired of wandering alone beside it4 ,he had great steadiness of purpose1 and calm judgment4 ,his perseverance was untiring2 his power of work remarkable2 his sympathy boundless4 ,he was never narrow or opinionated4 ,he died as he had lived2 honored the world over for his amazing knowledge1 and loved for his unselfish1 earnest1 and beautiful character4 ,,joseph ,,henry1 ,,ll4,d4 ,illustration3 ,,joseph ,,henry4 ,on ,thursday evening1 ,january #af1 #ahgi1 a large company gathered in the hall of the ,house of ,representatives at ,washington4 ,they came to honor the memory of one of our greatest in science1 since ,franklin1--,joseph ,henry1 the ,secretary of the ,smithsonian ,institution4 ,addresses were made by the ,hon4 ,hannibal ,hamlin1 ,professor ,asa ,gray1 a most distinguished scientist1 the ,hon4 ,james ,a4 ,garfield1 ,general ,w4 ,t4 ,sherman1 the ,hon4 ,s4 ,s4 ,cox1 and others4 ,not alone at the ,capitol were memorial services held for ,professor ,henry4 ,before the ,united ,states ,national ,academy of ,sciences1 before the ,american ,association for the ,advancement of ,science1 before the ,philosophical ,society of ,washington1--of all these he had been president1--before the ,college of ,new ,jersey at ,princeton1 where he was ,professor of ,natural ,philosophy for fourteen years1 before the ,albany ,institute1 of which he was one of the original members1 and before various other societies in which he had been a leading spirit1 heartfelt testimony was given to ,america's loss in the death of a great scholar and a good man4 ,joseph ,henry was born in ,albany1 ,n4 ,y41 ,december #ag1 #agig1 or #agii1 probably the latter date1 this uncertainty arising from the illegibility of the faded records in the old family ,bible4 ,his grandparents came from ,scotland1 landing in this country ,june #af1 #agge1 the day before the battle of ,bunker ,hill4 ,the father1 ,william ,henry1 of whom little is known1 died when his first son1 ,joseph1 was nine years old4 ,the boy had gone two years previously to live with his maternal grandmother at ,galway1 in the county of ,saratoga1 ,n4 ,y4 ,joseph's mother is remembered as a lady of great refinement1 delicate in form and feature1 and very beautiful in her youth4 ,she was deeply devotional1 and probably to this fact is partially due ,professor ,henry's earnest religious character through life4 ,at the district school of ,galway1 under ,israel ,phelps1 ,joseph exhibited no special aptitude for books1 though he showed an inquisitive mind4 ,at the age of ten1 he was placed in a store kept by a ,mr4 ,broderick1 who was very kind to him1 allowing him to attend school in the afternoons4 ,his fondness for reading developed from a singular circumstance4 ,having lost a pet rabbit1 which had run into an opening in the foundation wall of the village meeting-house1 he crept through the hole on his hands and knees1 to find the runaway4 ,discovering a light through a crevice1 boy-like1 he decided to investigate his surroundings4 ,he soon reached the vestibule of the building1 and found there a book-case containing the village library4 ,the first book which attracted his attention was ,brooke's ,fool of ,quality1 a work of fiction4 ,he began to read1 and soon forgot about his rabbit4 ,from this time he made frequent visits to the library1 by the underground passage1 reading all the novels he could find4 ,in the evening1 to the lads who gathered about the stove in the village store1 he rehearsed the wonderful things he had read4 ,he was a handsome1 slender lad1 of delicate complexion1 vivacious manners1 and a great favorite4 ,mr4 ,broderick1 the proprietor1 enjoyed the stories1 and finally obtained proper access to the library for his young clerk4 ,when about thirteen or fourteen1 ,joseph was apprenticed to ,mr4 ,john ,f4 ,doty of ,albany1 a watch-maker and silversmith4 ,he found very little pleasure in the trade1 and was probably glad when1 after two years1 the apprenticeship came to an end1 through ,mr4 ,doty leaving the business4 ,of course he was out of work4 ,he was very fond of the theatre1 and1 having been behind the scenes1 had learned how stage effects are produced4 ,he now joined a private theatrical company1 called ,the ,rostrum1 and was soon made president of the society4 ,he dramatized a story1 and wrote a comedy1 both of which were acted4 ,he seemed destined to become an actor1 probably not with the approval of his ,scotch ,presbyterian mother4 ,lives are sometimes changed by seemingly trivial events1 yet nothing is trivial that influences a human being4 ,garfield said1 ,to every man of great original power there comes1 in early youth1 a moment of sudden discovery--of self-recognition--when his own nature is revealed to himself1 when he catches for the first time a strain of that immortal song to which his own spirit answers1 and which becomes thenceforth and forever the inspiration of his life4 ',like noble music unto noble words4' ,that moment of sudden discovery came to ,henry at sixteen4 ,a slight accident had confined him to his mother's house for a few days4 ,a young ,scotch gentleman1 ,robert ,boyle1 who was boarding with her1 had left upon the table of his chamber an unostentatious book1 ,lectures on ,experimental ,philosophy1 ,astronomy1 and ,chemistry3 by ,g4 ,gregory1 ,d4,d41 ,vicar of ,westham4 ,the book begins by asking several questions3 ,you throw a stone1 or shoot an arrow into the air2 why does it not go forward in the line or direction that you give it8 ,why does it stop at a certain distance1 and then return to you8444 ,on the contrary1 why does flame or smoke always mount upward1 though no force is used to send them in that direction8 ,and why should not the flame of a candle drop toward the floor when you reverse it1 or hold it downward1 instead of turning up and ascending into the air8444 ,again1 you look into a clear well of water1 and see your own face and figure1 as if painted there4 ,why is this8 ,you are told that it is done by reflection of light4 ,but what is reflection of light8 ,henry took up this book and began to read4 ,soon it seemed more interesting than ,brooke's ,fool of ,quality and all the romances4 ,at the very next meeting of the theatrical society1 he resigned the presidency1 telling his companions that he should devote his life to solid studies4 ,robert ,boyle1 seeing that the youth was interested in the book1 gave it to him4 ,it was ever after preserved in ,professor ,henry's library1 with these words written on the fly-leaf3 ,this book1 although by no means a profound work1 has1 under ,providence1 exerted a remarkable influence upon my life4 ,it accidentally fell into my hands when ,i was about sixteen years old1 and was the first work ,i ever read with attention4 ,it opened to me a new world of thought and enjoyment2 invested things before almost unnoticed with the highest interest2 fixed my mind on the study of nature1 and caused me to resolve1 at the time of reading it1 that ,i would immediately commence to devote my life to the acquisition of knowledge4 ,this resolution was at once put in practice1 by attending a night-school1 where he soon learned all that the master could teach4 ,his next attempt at education was to learn grammar of a travelling teacher1 and so skilled did he become that he made a grammatical tour of the country districts1 in imitation of his instructor1 earning enough money to enter the ,albany ,academy4 ,when more money was needed1 the enterprising youth found a situation as head of a district school1 at eight dollars a month6 ,he pleased his patrons so well that he received fifteen dollars for the second month4 ,later1 he became an assistant in the academy1 while still a pupil4 ,says ,orlando ,meads1 ,,ll4,d43 ,when a boy in the ,albany ,academy in #ahbc and #ahbd1 it was my pleasure and privilege1 when released from recitations1 to resort to the chemical laboratory and lecture room4 ,there might be found from day to day through the winter1 earnestly engaged in experiments upon steam and upon a small steam-engine1 and in chemical and other scientific investigations1 two young men--both active members of the ',lyceum1' then very different in their external circumstances and prospects in life1 but of kindred tastes and sympathies2 the one was ,richard ,varick ,de ,witt1 the other was ,joseph ,henry1 as yet unknown to fame1 but already giving promise of those rare qualities of mind and character which have since raised him to the very first rank among the experimental philosophers of his time4 ,chemistry at that time was exciting great interest1 and ,dr4 ,beck's courses of chemical lectures1 conducted every winter in the lecture room of the academy1 were attended not only by the students1 but by all that was most intelligent and fashionable in the city4 ,henry 444 was then ,dr4 ,beck's chemical assistant1 and already an admirable experimentalist1 and he availed himself to the utmost of the advantages thus afforded of prosecuting his investigations in chemistry1 electricity1 and galvanism4 ,dr4 ,t4 ,romeyn ,beck1 the principal1 had become interested in the studious young man1 and1 when he left the academy1 recommended him to one of the trustees1 ,general ,stephen ,van ,rensselaer1 as a private tutor to his sons4 ,young ,henry's services were engaged1 and1 as his teaching required but about three hours each day1 he devoted his leisure to higher mathematics1 in conjunction with chemistry1 physiology1 and anatomy1 as he had decided to become a physician4 ,in his mathematical studies he went so far as to read the ,mecanique ,analytique of ,la ,grange4 ,his delicate constitution seemed unable to bear the continued strain of study and teaching1 and at twenty-six1 through the friendship of an influential judge1 ,henry received the appointment of engineer in the survey of a road between the ,hudson ,river and ,lake ,erie1 a distance of about three hundred miles4 ,this gave him out-of-door life1 which he needed1 and1 though much of his work was done in winter1 in deep snow1 making his way through dense forests1 he entirely regained his health1 and gave such excellent satisfaction that he was asked to construct a canal in ,ohio1 and assist in a mining enterprise in ,mexico4 ,both of these he refused1 accepting the chair of ,mathematics and ,natural ,philosophy in the ,albany ,academy1 at the urgent solicitation of his friend1 ,dr4 ,beck4 ,elected in the spring1 and not entering upon his work till autumn1 he spent the intervening months in geological exploration in ,new ,york ,state4 ,every hour was occupied4 ,he had commenced solid study in earnest1 as he had told the members of the ,rostrum he should do4 ,having entered upon his profession1 he taught mathematics seven hours daily4 ,but he found time to make experiments in natural philosophy4 ,the first paper which he brought before the ,albany ,institute was1 ,on the ,chemical and ,mechanical ,effects of ,steam3 with ,experiments designed to illustrate the ,great ,reduction of ,temperature in ,steam of ,high ,elasticity when suddenly expanded4 ,his next published scientific paper was1 ,on the ,production of ,cold by the ,rarefaction of ,air3 accompanied by ,experiments4 ,one of these experiments most strikingly illustrated the great reduction of temperature which takes place on the sudden rarefaction of condensed air4 ,half a pint of water was poured into a strong copper vessel of a globular form1 and having a capacity of five gallons2 a tube of one-fourth of an inch caliber1 with a number of holes near the lower end1 and a stop-cock attached to the other extremity1 was firmly screwed into the neck of the vessel2 the lower end of the tube dipped into the water1 but a number of holes were above the surface of the liquid1 so that a jet of air mingled with water might be thrown from the fountain4 ,the apparatus was then charged with condensed air1 by means of a powerful condensing pump1 until the pressure was estimated at nine atmospheres4 ,during the condensation1 the vessel became sensibly warm4 ,after suffering the apparatus to cool down to the temperature of the room1 the stop-cock was opened3 the air rushed out with great violence1 carrying with it a quantity of water1 which was instantly converted into snow4 ,after a few seconds1 the tube became filled with ice1 which almost entirely stopped the current of air4 ,the neck of the vessel was then partially unscrewed1 so as to allow the condensed air to rush out around the sides of the screw2 in this state the temperature of the whole interior atmosphere was so much reduced as to freeze the remaining water in the vessel4 ,other pamphlets followed this publication1 but in #ahca a notable paper in the ,american ,journal of ,science and the ,arts brought ,henry's name to the front line of discoverers in electro-magnetism4 ,sturgeon made the first electro-magnet2 ,henry made the electro-magnet what it is4 ,says ,w4 ,b4 ,taylor1 in an address before the ,philosophical ,society of ,washington3 ,the electro-magnet figured and described by ,sturgeon consisted of a small bar or stout iron wire bent into a ,inverted ,u-,symbol or horse-shoe form1 having a copper wire wound loosely around it in eighteen turns1 with the ends of the wire dipping into mercury-cups connected with the respective poles of a battery having one hundred and thirty square inches of active surface4 ,henry improved upon this in #ahbh1 but in ,march of #ahbi he exhibited before the ,institute a somewhat larger magnet4 ,a round piece of iron about one-quarter of an inch in diameter was bent into the usual form of a horse-shoe1 and1 instead of loosely coiling around it a few feet of wire as is usually described1 it was tightly wound with thirty-five feet of wire covered with silk1 so as to form about four hundred turns2 a pair of small galvanic plates1 which could be dipped into a tumbler of diluted acid1 was soldered to the ends of the wire1 and the whole mounted on a stand4 ,with these small plates1 the horse-shoe became much more powerfully magnetic than another of the same size and wound in the usual manner1 by the application of a battery composed of twenty-eight plates of copper and zinc each eight inches square4 ,to ,henry1 therefore1 says ,mr4 ,taylor1 belongs the exclusive credit of having first constructed the magnetic 'spool' or 'bobbin1' that form of coil since universally employed for every application of electro-magnetism1 of induction1 or of magneto-electrics4 ,this was his first great contribution to the science and to the art of galvanic magnetization4444 ,but1 in addition to this large gift to science1 ,henry has the preeminent claim to popular gratitude of having first practically worked out the differing functions of two entirely different kinds of electro-magnet2 the one surrounded with numerous coils of no great length1 designated by him the 'quantity' magnet1 the other surrounded with a continuous coil of very great length1 designated by him the 'intensity' magnet4444 ,never should it be forgotten that he who first exalted the 'quantity' magnet of ,sturgeon from a power of twenty pounds to a power of twenty hundred pounds was the absolute ,,creator of the 'intensity' magnet2 and that the principles involved in this creation constitute the indispensable basis of every form of the electro-magnetic telegraph since invented4 ,professor ,silliman of ,yale ,college said3 ,henry has the honor of having constructed by far the most powerful magnets that have ever been known2 and his last1 weighing 7armature and all7 but #hb-a_/b pounds1 sustains over a ton2--which is eight times more powerful than any magnet hitherto known in ,europe4 ,in #ahca1 says ,professor ,henry1 ,i arranged around one of the upper rooms of the ,albany ,academy a wire of more than a mile in length1 through which ,i was enabled to make signals by sounding a bell4 ,the mechanical arrangement for effecting this object was simply a steel bar1 permanently magnetized1 of about ten inches in length1 supported on a pivot1 and placed with its north end between the two arms of a horse-shoe magnet4 ,when the latter was excited by the current1 the end of the bar thus placed was attracted by one arm of the horse-shoe and repelled by the other1 and was thus caused to move in a horizontal plane and its further end to strike a bell suitably adjusted4 ,this was the first sounding electro-magnetic telegraph4 ,with this growing fame he was not disposed to think too highly of himself4 ,a friend1 noticing a look of sadness in the face of the young professor1 said to him1--,albany will one day be proud of her son2 and so it proved4 ,a year before this1 in ,may1 #ahcj1 ,professor ,henry had married1 at thirty-one1 ,harriet ,l4 ,alexander of ,schenectady1 ,n4 ,y41 a cultivated and helpful woman4 ,in #ahcb1 ,princeton ,college needed a professor of natural philosophy4 ,henry's friends heartily commended him for the position4 ,silliman said1--,henry has no superior among the scientific men of the country1 and ,professor ,renwick of ,columbia ,college1 ,new ,york1 said1 ,he has no equal4 ,after six years at the ,albany ,academy1 ,henry removed to ,princeton1 where for fourteen years he added constantly to his fame and usefulness by original work4 ,of his discoveries in these fruitful years he gives the following summary1 at the request of a friend3-- ,i arrived in ,princeton in ,november1 #ahcb1 and1 as soon as ,i became fully settled in the chair which ,i occupied1 ,i recommenced my investigations1 constructed a still more powerful electro-magnet than ,i had made before1--one which would sustain over three thousand pounds1--and with it illustrated to my class the manner in which a large amount of power might1 by means of a relay magnet1 be called into operation at the distance of many miles4444 ,the electro-magnetic telegraph was first invented by me1 in ,albany1 in #ahcj4444 ,at the time of making my original experiments on electro-magnetism in ,albany1 ,i was urged by a friend to take out a patent1 both for its application to machinery and to the telegraph2 but this ,i declined1 on the ground that ,i did not then consider it compatible with the dignity of science to confine the benefits which might be derived from it to the exclusive use of any individual4 ,in this perhaps ,i was too fastidious4 ,professor ,asa ,gray well said1 ,for the telegraph and for electro-magnetic machines1 what was now wanted was not discovery1 but invention2 not the ascertainment of principles1 but the devising of methods4 ,morse is not to be less honored because somebody discovered the principle1 which he and others utilized for the race1 any more than ,edison1 ,bell1 and others1 because ,faraday and ,henry helped to make their grand work possible4 ,my next investigation1 after being settled at ,princeton1 says ,professor ,henry1 was in relation to electro-dynamic induction4 ,mr4 ,faraday had discovered that when a current of galvanic electricity was passed through a wire from a battery1 a current in an opposite direction was induced in a wire arranged parallel to this conductor4 ,i discovered that an induction of a similar kind took place in the primary conducting wire itself1 so that a current which1 in its passage through a short wire conductor1 would neither produce sparks nor shocks would1 if the wire were sufficiently long1 produce both those phenomena4444 ,a series of investigations was afterwards made1 resulting in producing inductive currents of different orders1 having different directions1 made up of waves alternately in opposite directions4444 ,another series of investigations1 of a parallel character1 was made in regard to ordinary or frictional electricity4 ,in the course of these it was shown that electro-dynamic inductive action of ordinary electricity was of a peculiar character1 and that effects could be produced by it at a remarkable distance4 ,for example1 if a shock were sent through a wire on the outside of a building1 electrical effects could be exhibited in a parallel wire within the building4444 ,after this1 investigations were made in atmospheric induction2 induction from thunder clouds2 in regard to lightning rods2 on substances capable of exhibiting phosphorescence1 such as the diamond1 which1 when exposed to the direct rays of the sun1 and then removed to a dark place1 emits a pale blue light2 on a method of determining the velocity of projectiles2 on the heat of the spots on the sun as compared with the rest of his disk2 the detection of heat by the thermal telescope--when the object was a horse in a distant field1 the radiant heat from the animal was distinctly perceptible at a distance of at least several hundred yards2 on the cohesion of liquids2 on the tenacity of soapwater in films2 on the origin of mechanical power1 and the nature of vital force4 ,henry says3-- ,the mechanical power exerted by animals is due to the passage of organized matter in the stomach1 from an unstable to a stable equilibrium2 or1 as it were1 from the combustion of the food4 ,it therefore follows that animal power is referable to the same source as that from the combustion of fuel--namely1 developed power of the sun's beams4 ,but1 according to this view1 what is vitality8 ,it is that mysterious principle--not mechanical power--which determines the form and arranges the atoms of organized matter1 employing for this purpose the power which is derived from the food4444 ,suppose a vegetable organism impregnated with a germ 7a potato1 for instance7 is planted below the surface of the ground1 in damp soil1 under a temperature sufficient for vegetation4 ,if we examine it from time to time1 we find it sending down rootlets into the earth1 and stems and leaves upward into the air4 ,after the leaves have been fully expanded we shall find the tuber entirely exhausted1 nothing but a skin remaining4 ,the same effect will take place if the potato be placed in a warm cellar2 it will continue to grow until all the starch and gluten are exhausted1 when it will cease to increase4 ,if1 however1 we now place it in the light1 it will commence to grow again1 and increase in size and weight4 ,if we weigh the potato previous to the experiment1 and the plant after it has ceased to grow in the dark1 we shall find that the weight of the latter is a little more than half of the original tuber4 ,the question then is1 what has become of the material which filled the sac of the potato8 ,the answer is1 one part has run down into carbonic acid and water1 and in this running down has evolved the power to build up the other part into the new plant4 ,after the leaves have been formed and the plant exposed to the light of the sun1 the developed power of its rays decomposes the carbonic acid of the atmosphere1 and thus furnishes the pabulum and the power necessary to the further development of the organization4 ,the same is the case with wheat1 and all other grains that are germinated in the earth4 ,besides the germ of the future plant1 there is stored away1 around the germ1 the starch and gluten to furnish the power necessary to its development1 and also the food to build it up1 until it reaches the surface of the earth and can draw the sources of its future growth from the power of the sunbeam4 ,in the case of fungi and other plants that grow in the dark1 they derive the power and the pabulum from surrounding vegetable matter in process of decay1 or in that of evolving power4444 ,what then is the office of vitality8 ,we say that it is analogous to that of the engineer who directs the power of the steam-engine in the execution of its work4 ,if he had published in #ahdd1 with some fulness1 as he then wrought them out1 says ,professor ,gray1 his conception and his attractive illustrations of the sources1 transformation1 and equivalence of mechanical power1 and given them fitting publicity1 ,henry's name would have been prominent among the pioneers and founders of the modern doctrine of the conservation of energy4 ,henry always defined science as the knowledge of natural law1 and law as the will of ,god4 ,he found all things1 even the storms1 under the control of laws--fixed1 immutable1 and eternal1 and rejoiced in believing that a ,supreme ,intelligence who knows no change governs all4 ,for him there was never any conflict between science and religion4 ,in ,february1 #ahcg1 ,henry went to ,europe1 accompanied by ,prof4 ,alexander ,d4 ,bache1 at the head of the ,united ,states ,coast ,survey for eighteen years4 ,he became the friend of ,faraday2 of ,wheatstone1 then ,professor of ,experimental ,philosophy in ,king's ,college1 who was engaged in developing his system of the needle telegraph2 of ,arago1 ,gay-,lussac1 and other noted men4 ,at ,king's ,college1 says ,prof4 ,alfred ,m4 ,mayer1 ,faraday1 ,wheatstone1 ,daniell1 and ,henry had met to try and evolve the electric spark from the thermopile4 ,each in turn attempted it and failed4 ,then came ,henry's turn4 ,he succeeded1 calling in the aid of his discovery of the effect of a long interpolar wire wrapped around a piece of soft iron4 ,faraday became as wild as a boy1 and1 jumping up1 shouted3 ',hurrah for the ,yankee experiment6' ,it is not generally known or appreciated1 says ,professor ,mayer1 that ,henry and ,faraday independently discovered the means of producing the electric current and the electric spark from a magnet4444 ,henry cannot be placed on record as the first discoverer of the magneto-electric current1 but it can be claimed that he stands alone as its second independent discoverer4 ,both ,james ,d4 ,forbes of ,edinburgh and ,henry obtained the spark1 but were anticipated by ,faraday4 ,henry spoke before the various scientific societies4 ,he was no longer the apprentice to a watch-maker1 or the leader of private theatricals1 but a distinguished scholar4 ,by his own will and energy he had attained to this enviable position4 ,meantime a man of science1 in ,england1 had thought out a great project for the benefit of his fellow-men4 ,james ,smithson1 a wealthy ,english chemist1 a ,fellow of the ,royal ,society1 unmarried1 died in #ahbi4 ,he left his property1 over five hundred and forty thousand dollars1 after the death of his nephew1 provided that he died childless1 to the ,united ,states of ,america1 to found at ,washington1 under the name of the ,smithsonian ,institution1 an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men4 ,the nephew died six years later1 unmarried4 ,this was indeed a wonderful gift1--and from a stranger6 ,difficulties at once presented themselves4 ,how could the property be used for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men8 ,for ten years1 says ,garfield1 ,congress wrestled with those nine words of ,smithson1 and could not handle them4 ,some political philosophers of that period held that we had no constitutional authority to accept the gift at all1 and proposed to send it back to ,england4 ,every conceivable proposition was made4 ,john ,quincy ,adams desired a great astronomical observatory4 ,one person wished an agricultural school2 another1 a college for women2 another1 that the funds should be devoted to meteorological observations all over the ,union4 ,finally1 a board of regents was appointed1 with power to choose a suitable person as secretary4 ,he must be a learned man1 a wise financier1 with good judgment and pleasant manners4 ,professor ,henry fulfilled all the conditions4 ,he was admired for his learning2 in finance he was wise1 as thirty years have proved1 the institute with its endowment now being valued at one and a half million dollars2 his kindly manner made him accessible1 willing to listen to any one who hoped or believed he had discovered something in the line of knowledge4 ,a man who can be harsh or cold to an ignorant person1 or indeed to anybody1 does not deserve to hold any public position4 ,with natural quickness of temper in early life1 he had gained remarkable self-control4 ,like ,baron ,cuvier1 he had no tolerance for sarcasm or practical jokes4 ,henry was unanimously chosen1 entering upon his duties ,december #c1 #ahdf4 ,he had a definite plan of the work which ought to be done1 and after due deliberation it received the almost unanimous approval of the scientific world4 ,he believed that the money should be used in original scientific work2 by helping men to publish the results of such work2 to aid in varied explorations2 to send scientific publications all over the world4 ,the institution is now the principal agent of scientific and literary communication between the old world and the new4 ,the number of foreign institutions and correspondents receiving the ,smithsonian publications exceeds two thousand1 scattered from ,new ,zealand and ,india to ,yokohama1 in ,japan1 and ,cape ,town1 in ,southern ,africa4 ,the weight of matter sent abroad for ten years1 ending #ahgg1 was ninety-nine thousand pounds4 ,among the first subjects taken up by the institution for investigation was that of ,american archaeology1 an attempt to ascertain the industrial1 social1 and intellectual character of the earliest races on our continent4 ,the first publication of ,smithsonian ,contributions was a work on the mounds and earthworks found in the ,mississippi valley1 a most fascinating study4 ,the ,smithsonian1 first in the world1 organized a comprehensive system of telegraphic meteorology1 and has thus given first to ,europe and ,asia1 and now to the ,united ,states1 that most beneficent national application of modern science--the storm warnings4 ,so much of value has been gathered by government surveys and by voluntary contribution that the institution has sent duplicates to various societies of specimens in geology1 mineralogy1 botany1 zooelogy1 and archaeology1 while it has remaining1 boxed up1 varieties of art and nature more than enough to twice fill the halls and galleries of the building4 ,the work of ,professor ,henry grew more and more onerous1 but he seemed to leave nothing undone4 ,for many years he served gratuitously as chairman of the ,lighthouse ,board4 ,when a substitute was needed for sperm oil1 after almost numberless experiments1 he showed that lard oil is the best illuminant1 thereby saving the country over one hundred thousand dollars yearly1 since #ahfe4 ,during the last twelve years of his life1 he devoted much time to our system of coast fog-signals1 making contributions to the science of acoustics1 unquestionably the most important of the century4 ,observations were made1 among other places1 at ,block ,island and ,point ,judith4 ,the distance between these fog-horns is seventeen miles1 and the sound of one can be distinctly heard at the other when the air is quiet and homogeneous2 but if the wind blows from one towards the other1 the listener at the station from which the wind blows is unable to hear the other horn4 ,while at work in the ,lighthouse ,depot1 in ,staten ,island1 ,december1 #ahgg1 ,henry's right hand became in a paralytic condition4 ,this foretold that the end was near4 ,he died at noon1 ,may #ac1 #ahgh1 asking1 with his latest breath1 which way the wind came1 as though still thinking how to save human lives in a fog at sea4 ,he was buried ,may #af1 at ,rock ,creek ,cemetery1 near ,georgetown1 ,d4 ,c4 ,he was ready when death came4 ,two weeks before1 he said to a friend3 ,i may die at any moment4 ,i would like to live long enough to complete some things ,i have undertaken1 but ,i am content to go4 ,i have had a happy life1 and ,i hope ,i have been able to do some good4 ,several times during his connection with the ,smithsonian ,institution he was offered more lucrative positions1 but he remained where he believed he could be most useful4 ,he was called to the professorship of chemistry in the ,medical ,department of the ,university of ,pennsylvania1 with double the salary of his secretaryship2 but he declined4 ,he was urged also to take the presidency of the college at ,princeton4 ,john ,c4 ,calhoun desired him to accept a professorship in the ,university of ,virginia1 as there were so many difficulties in connection with the secretaryship4 ,henry declined1 saying that his honor was committed to the institution4 ,calhoun grasped his hand1 exclaiming1 ,professor ,henry1 you are a man after my own heart4 ,he seemed to have no time to accumulate money4 ,fortunately1 a fund of forty thousand dollars has been raised by friends1 the income of which goes to his family during life1 and afterwards to the ,national ,academy of ,sciences1 to be devoted to original research4 ,in character he was above reproach4 ,he said1 ,i think that immorality and great mental power exercised in the discovery of scientific truths are incompatible with each other2 and that more error is introduced from defect in moral sense than from want of intellectual capacity4 ,he loved nature4 ,a life devoted exclusively to the study of a single insect1 he said1 is not spent in vain4 ,no animal1 however insignificant1 is isolated2 it forms a part of the great system of nature1 and is governed by the same general laws which control the most prominent beings of the organic world4 ,in #ahgj1 when gazing upon the ,aar glacier1 from the ,rhone valley1 he exclaimed to his daughter1 while the tears coursed down his cheeks3 ,this is a place to die in4 ,we should go no further4 ,a really great man is never afraid to show that he has a tender heart4 ,he loved his home4 ,out from it1 in his early married life1 two children went by death1 and later1 an only son in his early manhood4 ,three daughters were left him4 ,one of them records in her diary3 ,had father with us all the evening4 ,i modelled his profile in clay1 while he read ',thomson's ,seasons' to us4 ,in the earlier part of the evening he seemed restless and depressed1 but the influence of the poet drove away the cloud1 and then an expression of almost childlike sweetness rested upon his lips1 singularly in contrast1 yet beautifully in harmony1 with1 the intellect of the brow above4 ,again she writes3 ,we were all up until a late hour1 reading poetry with father and mother1 father being the reader4 ,he attempted ',cowper's ,grave1' by ,mrs4 ,browning1 but was too tender-hearted to finish the reading of it4 ,we then laughed over the ',address to the ,mummy1' soared to heaven with ,shelley's ',skylark1' roamed the forest with ,bryant1 culled flowers from other poetical fields1 and ended with ',tam ,o',shanter4' ,i took for my task to recite a part of the latter from memory1 while father corrected1 as if he were 'playing schoolmaster4' ,he was orderly and painstaking in his work1 deciding with great caution4 ,prof4 ,asa ,gray tells a story of his boyhood which well illustrates this4 ,it goes back to the time when he was first allowed to have a pair of boots1 and to choose for himself the style of them4 ,he was living with his grandmother1 in the country1 and the village ,crispin could offer no great choice of patterns2 indeed1 it was narrowed down to the alternative of round toes or square4 ,daily the boy visited the shop and pondered the alternatives1 even while the manufacture was going on1 until1 at length1 the shoemaker1 who could brook no more delay1 took the dilemma by both horns1 and produced the most remarkable pair of boots the wearer ever had2 one boot round-toed1 the other square-toed4444 ,he probably never again postponed decision till it was too late to choose4 ,a single incident illustrates the kindness of the man1 who was always called the model of a ,christian gentleman4 ,early in the war1 in the autumn of #ahfa1 a caller at the presidential mansion1 very anxious to see the chief magistrate of the nation1 was informed that he could not then be seen1 being engaged in an important private consultation4 ,the caller1 not to be repulsed1 wrote on a piece of paper that he must see ,mr4 ,lincoln personally1 on a matter of vital and pressing importance to the public welfare4 ,this1 of course1 secured his admission to the presence of ,mr4 ,lincoln1 who was sitting with a middle-aged gentleman4 ,observing the hesitancy of the visitor1 the ,president told him he might speak freely1 as only a friend was present4 ,whereupon the visitor announced that for several evenings past he had observed a light exhibited on the highest of the ,smithsonian towers1 for a few minutes1 about nine o'clock1 with mysterious movements1 which1 he felt satisfied1 were designed as signals to the rebels encamped on ,munson's ,hill1 in ,virginia4 ,having gravely listened to this information with raised eyebrows1 but a subdued twinkle of the eye1 the ,president turned to his companion1 saying1 ',what do you think of that1 ,professor ,henry8' ,rising with a smile1 the person addressed replied that1 from the time mentioned1 he presumed the mysterious light shone from the lantern of an attendant who was required at nine o'clock each evening to observe and record the indications of the meteorological instruments placed on the tower4 ,the painful confusion of the officious informant at once appealed to ,henry's sensibility1 and1 quite unmindful of the ,president1 he approached the visitor1 offering his hand1 and with a courteous regard counselled him never to be abashed at the issue of a conscientious discharge of duty1 and never to let the fear of ridicule interfere with its faithful execution4 ,henry had learned how to triumph over the misfortunes of life4 ,in #ahfe1 the ,smithsonian building was partially burned1 with nearly one hundred thousand letters1 his notes of original research for thirty years1 the annual report in manuscript1 ready for the press1 a valuable library1 etc4 ,a few years ago1 he said1 such a calamity would have paralyzed me for future efforts1 but in my present view of life ,i take it as the dispensation of a kind and wise ,providence1 and trust that it will work to my spiritual advantage4 ,a bronze statue of ,joseph ,henry1 by ,w4 ,w4 ,story1 costing fifteen thousand dollars1 was unveiled in the grounds of the ,smithsonian ,institution1 ,april #ai1 #ahhc4 ,ten thousand people were assembled to witness the ceremonies4 ,noah ,porter1 ex-president of ,yale ,college1 delivered the oration4 ,there it will tell the story of a self-made man--of whom ,garfield said3 ,remembering his great career as a man of science1 as a man who served his government with singular ability and faithfulness1 who was loved and venerated by every circle1 who blessed with the light of his friendship the worthiest and the best1 whose life added new lustre to the glory of the human race1 we shall be most fortunate if ever in the future we see his like again4 ,prof4 ,joseph ,henry was succeeded by ,prof4 ,spencer ,f4 ,baird as secretary of the ,smithsonian ,institution4 ,he died ,august #ai1 #ahhg1 and ,prof4 ,s4 ,p4 ,langley was called to the position1 accepting the office ,november #ah1 #ahhg4 ,the mantle of ,henry has fallen upon a worthy successor2 a scholar who has given us1 among other works1 the ,new ,astronomy1 whose beauty of diction1 breadth of knowledge1 and exquisite illustrations are so well remembered1 as it appeared first in the pages of the ,century ,magazine4 ,,louis ,,agassiz4 ,illustration3 ,,louis ,,agassiz4 ,in the midst of as beautiful scenery as one finds on earth1 snow-white ,alps1 blue lakes1 great fields of purple crocus1 and picturesque homes1 ,jean ,louis ,rodolphe ,agassiz was born at ,motier1 on ,lake ,morat1 ,switzerland1 ,may #bh1 #ahjg4 ,his father1 a clergyman1 descended from a long line of clergymen1 was a gentle but efficient man1 universally esteemed4 ,his mother1 ,rose ,mayor1 the daughter of a physician on the shore of ,lake ,neuchatel1 was a woman of strong character and most tender affection4 ,she had buried her first four children2 therefore ,louis was cared for with unusual solicitude4 ,until he was ten years old1 he was taught by his parents1 and allowed to develop his natural tastes4 ,possibly his sweetness of disposition resulted1 in part1 from the wise training of the father and mother4 ,doubtless as many children are spoiled by undue thwarting and irritating as by over-indulgence4 ,though ,louis met almost unsurmountable obstacles later in life1 he was able to rejoice1 having enjoyed a sunny childhood4 ,such a childhood we can give to our children but once4 ,in a great stone basin back of the parsonage1 the boy made his first aquarium4 ,there he gathered fishes1 frogs1 tadpoles1 indeed1 everything which he could obtain from ,lake ,morat4 ,in the house he had pet birds1 hares1 rabbits1 field-mice1 with their families1 all cared for as though they were royal visitors4 ,he was skilful as a carpenter and boot-maker4 ,when the village cobbler came to the house1 two or three times a year1 to make shoes for the family1 the lad was quick to imitate him1 and made well fitting shoes for his sister's dolls4 ,mrs4 ,elizabeth ,cary ,agassiz1 in her fascinating life of her husband1 tells this incident of his boyhood3 ,though fond of quiet1 indoor occupation1 he was an active1 daring boy4 ,one winter day1 when about seven years of age1 he was skating with his little brother ,auguste1 two years younger than himself1 and a number of other boys1 near the shore of the lake4 ,they were talking of a great fair held that day at the town of ,morat1 on the opposite side of the lake1 to which ,m4 ,agassiz had gone in the morning1 not crossing upon the ice1 however1 but driving around the shore4 ,the temptation was too strong for ,louis1 and he proposed to ,auguste that they should skate across1 join their father at the fair1 and come home with him in the afternoon4 ,they started accordingly4 ,the other boys remained on their skating ground till twelve o'clock1 the usual dinner hour1 when they returned to the village4 ,mme4 ,agassiz was watching for her boys1 thinking them rather late1 and1 on inquiring for them among the troop of urchins coming down the village street1 she learned on what errand they had gone4 ,her anxiety may be imagined4 ,the lake was not less than two miles across1 and she was by no means sure that the ice was safe4 ,she hurried to an upper window with a spy-glass1 to see if she could descry them anywhere4 ,at the moment she caught sight of them1 already far on their journey1 ,louis had laid himself down across a fissure in the ice1 thus making a bridge for his little brother1 who was creeping over his back4 ,their mother directed a workman1 an excellent skater1 to follow them as swiftly as possible4 ,he overtook them just as they had gained the shore1 but it did not occur to him that they could return otherwise than they had come1 and he skated back with them across the lake4 ,weary1 hungry1 and disappointed1 the boys reached the house without having seen the fair or enjoyed the drive home with their father in the afternoon4 ,at ten1 ,louis was sent to a school for boys at ,bienne1 where1 though the children studied nine hours a day1 the time was wisely divided between work and play1 so that they were kept well and happy4 ,the lad always remembered affectionately his teacher at this school1 ,mr4 ,rickly4 ,when the vacations came1 ,louis and ,auguste walked twenty miles home to ,motier1 and did not find the journey long or tedious4 ,at fourteen1 ,louis left ,bienne1 having finished his education1 as he supposed1 prior to entering the business house of his uncle1 ,francois ,mayor1 at ,neuchatel4 ,that his young mind turned longingly towards a different future1 may be seen from his desires written at this time on a sheet of foolscap4 ,i wish to advance in the sciences1 and for that ,i need ,d',anville1 ,ritter1 an ,italian dictionary1 a ,strabo in ,greek1 ,mannert and ,thiersch2 and also the works of ,malte-,brun and ,seyfert4 ,i have resolved1 as far as ,i am allowed to do so1 to become a man of letters1 and at present ,i can go no further3 first1 in ancient geography1 for ,i already know all my note-books1 and ,i have only such books as ,mr4 ,rickly can lend me2 ,i must have ,d',anville or ,mannert2 second1 in modern geography also1 ,i have only such books as ,mr4 ,rickly can lend me1 and the ,osterwold geography1 which does not accord with the new divisions2 ,i must have ,ritter or ,malte-,brun2 third1 for ,greek ,i need a new grammar1 and ,i shall choose ,thiersch2 fourth1 ,i have no ,italian dictionary1 except one lent me by ,mr4 ,moltz2 ,i must have one2 fifth1 for ,latin ,i need a larger grammar than the one ,i have1 and ,i should like ,seyfert2 sixth1 ,mr4 ,rickly tells me that1 as ,i have a taste for geography1 he will give me a lesson in ,greek 7gratis7 in which we would translate ,strabo1 provided ,i can find one4 ,for all this ,i ought to have about twelve louis4 ,i should like to stay at ,bienne till the month of ,july1 and afterward serve my apprenticeship in commerce at ,neuchatel for a year and a half4 ,then ,i should like to pass four years at a university in ,germany1 and finally finish my studies at ,paris1 where ,i would stay about five years4 ,then1 at the age of twenty-five1 ,i could begin to write4 ,at this early age1 then1 he was thinking of being an author6 ,he begged his parents to defer the business project for two years1 that he might study at the ,college of ,lausanne4 ,they were willing and glad to please their boy2 but they knew from experience the ills of poverty1 and they hoped to save him from it by a wise choice of a life-work4 ,they gratified him1 however1 and he went to ,lausanne4 ,his uncle1 ,dr4 ,mathias ,mayor1 a physician of ,lausanne1 seeing that the boy was deeply interested in anatomy1 advised that he should study medicine2 so this was decided upon1 as being more in accord with ,louis' tastes than business4 ,as poor ,vincenzio ,galileo found it a difficult matter to make a wool merchant or a doctor out of a boy destined to be a man of science1 so did the father of ,louis ,agassiz4 ,at seventeen1 ,louis left ,lausanne for the medical school at ,zurich4 ,here he became the friend as well as pupil of ,professor ,schinz1 who held the chair of ,natural ,history and ,physiology4 ,he gave young ,agassiz a key to his private library1 and also to his collection of birds2 of course1 the love for natural history grew stronger4 ,both boys1 for ,auguste had come to ,zurich with his brother1 were too poor to buy books even when they cost but a dollar a volume4 ,the ,swiss minister was saving to the uttermost to pay for board and decent clothes for his sons1 to say nothing of books4 ,therefore the use of ,schinz's library was a great favor4 ,said ,agassiz in after years1 ,my inability to buy books was1 perhaps1 not so great a misfortune as it seemed to me2 at least1 it saved me from too great dependence on written authority4 ,i spent all my time in dissecting animals and in studying human anatomy1 not forgetting my favorite amusements of fishing and collecting4 ,i was always surrounded with pets1 and had at this time some forty birds flying about my study1 with no other home than a large pine-tree in the corner4 ,i still remember my grief when a visitor1 entering suddenly1 caught one of my little favorites between the floor and the door1 and he was killed before ,i could extricate him4 ,professor ,schinz's private collection of birds was my daily resort1 and ,i then described every bird it contained1 as ,i could not afford to buy even a text-book of ornithology4 ,i also copied with my own hand1 having no means of purchasing the work1 two volumes of ,lamarck's ',animaux sans ,vertebres1' and my dear brother copied another half-volume for me4 ,i finally learned that the study of the things themselves was far more attractive than the books ,i so much coveted1 and when1 at last1 large libraries became accessible to me1 ,i usually contented myself with turning over the leaves of the volumes on natural history1 looking at the illustrations1 and recording the titles of the works1 that ,i might readily consult them for identification of such objects as ,i should have an opportunity of examining in nature4 ,the boys remained two years at ,zurich4 ,one vacation1 as they were walking home1 the family having moved from ,motier to ,orbe1 they were overtaken by a gentleman who asked them to ride1 shared his lunch with them1 and took them to their own door4 ,some days afterward he wrote to ,m4 ,agassiz that he had been so impressed by his son ,louis that he wished to adopt him and provide for him through life4 ,this request caused great commotion in the little home1 for the writer of the letter was a man of wealth in ,geneva1 but1 after careful consideration1 both parents and son declined the offer1 preferring to struggle with poverty rather than bear separation4 ,at the end of the two years in ,zurich1 ,auguste went to the commercial house of his uncle at ,neuchatel1 and ,louis to the ,university of ,heidelberg1 taking letters of introduction from ,professor ,schinz and others4 ,professor ,tiedemann1 the chancellor1 had studied with ,schinz2 therefore1 ,agassiz received a warm welcome1 and an offer of books from his library4 ,the young student worked earnestly4 ,he wrote to his father3 ,every morning ,i rise at six o'clock1 dress and breakfast4 ,at seven ,i go to my lectures given during the morning4444 ,if1 in the interval1 ,i have a free hour1 as sometimes happens from ten to eleven1 ,i occupy it in making anatomical preparations4444 ,from twelve to one ,i practise fencing4 ,we dine at about one o'clock1 after which ,i walk till two1 when ,i return to the house and to my studies till five o'clock4 ,from five to six we have a lecture from the renowned ,tiedemann4 ,after that1 ,i either take a bath in the ,neckar1 or another walk4 ,from eight to nine ,i resume my special work1 and then1 according to my inclination1 go to the ,swiss ,club1 or1 if ,i am tired1 to bed4 ,i have my evening service and talk silently with you1 believing that at that hour you also do not forget your ,louis1 who thinks always of you4 ,at ,heidelberg1 like ,humboldt1 ,agassiz needed a congenial friend1 and found one in ,alexander ,braun1 of ,carlsruhe1 an ardent lover of botany1 afterward ,director of the ,botanical ,gardens in ,berlin4 ,he wrote to his parents concerning ,agassiz1 a rare comet on the ,heidelberg horizon4444 ,not only do we collect and learn to observe all manner of things1 but we have also an opportunity of exchanging our views on scientific matters in general4 ,i learn a great deal from him1 for he is much more at home in zooelogy than ,i am4 ,he is familiar with almost all the known mammalia1 recognizes the birds from far off by their song1 and can give a name to every fish in the water4 ,in the morning we often stroll together through the fish market1 where he explains to me all the different species4 ,he is going to teach me how to stuff fishes1 and then we intend to make a collection of all the native kinds4 ,many other useful things he knows2 speaks ,german and ,french equally well1 ,english and ,italian fairly1 so that ,i have already appointed him to be my interpreter on some future vacation trip to ,italy4 ,he is well acquainted with ancient languages also1 and studies medicine besides4 ,schimper1 another brilliant botanist1 was a friend of both ,braun and ,agassiz4 ,the professor in zooelogy1 ,leuckart1 was very fond of these bright pupils1 and allowed himself to be gotten up at seven in the morning1 to give them extra lectures4 ,when vacation came1 ,braun took ,agassiz to his home2 a cultured place1 rich in books1 music1 and collections of plants and animals4 ,agassiz was very happy there2 possibly the happiness was increased by the fact that ,braun had a lovely and artistic sister1 ,cecile4 ,agassiz wrote home1 ,my happiness would be perfect were it not for the painful thought which pursues me everywhere1 that ,i live on your privations2 yet it is impossible for me to diminish my expenses further4 ,you would lift a great weight from my heart if you could relieve yourself of this burden by an arrangement with my uncle at ,neuchatel4444 ,otherwise ,i am well1 going on as usual1 always working as hard as ,i can1 and ,i believe all the professors whose lectures ,i attend are satisfied with me4 ,in the spring of #ahbg1 when ,agassiz was twenty1 he was taken ill of typhus fever1 and it was feared he would not recover4 ,as soon as possible he was removed to ,braun's home1 and most tenderly cared for4 ,when he became able1 he went to his own home1 at ,orbe4 ,from there he writes to ,braun3 ,i had the good fortune to find at least thirty specimens of ,bombinator obstetricans1 with the eggs4 ,tell ,dr4 ,leuckart that ,i will bring him some1--and some for you also4 ,i kept several alive1 laid in damp moss2 after fourteen days the eggs were almost as large as peas1 and the little tadpoles moved about inside in all directions4 ,the mother stripped the eggs from her legs1 and one of the little tadpoles came out1 but died for want of water4 ,then ,i placed the whole mass of eggs in a vessel filled with water1 and behold6 in about an hour some twenty young ones were swimming freely about4 ,i shall spare no pains to raise them1 and ,i hope1 if ,i begin aright1 to make fine toads of them in the end4 ,my oldest sister is busy every day in making drawings for me to illustrate their gradual development4 ,in the fall of #ahbg1 ,agassiz and ,braun1 after spending a little more than a year at ,heidelberg1 went to the ,university of ,munich1 there meeting ,schimper4 ,he wrote home1 that from one of his windows he could see the whole chain of the ,tyrolean ,alps1 as far as ,appenzell4444 ,it is a great pleasure to have at least a part of our ,swiss mountains always in sight4 ,to enjoy it the more1 ,i have placed my table opposite the window1 so that every time ,i lift my head my eyes rest on our dear country4 ,at ,munich1 the young students were stimulated by the presence of many noted men4 ,doellinger lectured on comparative anatomy2 ,schelling1 on philosophy2 ,oken1 on natural history1 physiology1 and zooelogy2 ,martius1 on botany4 ,agassiz and ,braun roomed in ,doellinger's house4 ,this room soon became the intellectual centre for the bright men of the college1 and was called the little academy4 ,here different students gave lectures1 each on his special subject of study2 the professors1 even1 coming as listeners4 ,in that room1 said ,agassiz1 years later1 ,i made all the skeletons represented on the plates of ,wagler's ',natural ,system of ,reptiles'2 there ,i once received the great anatomist ,meckel1 sent to me by ,doellinger to examine my anatomical preparations1 and especially the many fish-skeletons ,i had made from fresh-water fishes4 ,by my side were constantly at work two artists2 one engaged in drawing various objects of natural history1 the other in drawing fossil fishes4 ,i kept always one1 and sometimes two artists1 in my pay4 ,it was not easy1 with an allowance of two hundred and fifty dollars a year2 but they were even poorer than ,i1 and so we managed to get along together4 ,my microscope ,i had earned by writing4 ,poor ,agassiz6 he was yet to see greater pecuniary trials than this4 ,says ,mr4 ,dinkel1 one of the artists who worked with ,agassiz for many years3 ,i soon found myself engaged four or five hours almost daily in painting for him fresh-water fishes from the life1 while he was at my side1 sometimes writing out his descriptions1 sometimes directing me4444 ,he never lost his temper1 though often under great trial2 he remained self-possessed1 and did everything calmly1 having a friendly smile for every one1 and a helping hand for those who were in need4 ,he was at that time scarcely twenty years old1 and was already the most prominent among the students of ,munich4 ,they loved him1 and had a high consideration for him4444 ,he liked merry society1 but he himself was in general reserved1 and never noisy4 ,he picked out the gifted and highly learned students1 and would not waste his time in ordinary conversation4 ,often1 when he saw a number of students going off on some empty pleasure-trip1 he said to me1 ',there they go with the other fellows4444 ,i will go my own way1 ,mr4 ,dinkel1--and not alone4 ,i will be a leader of others4' ,agassiz writes to his brother ,auguste3 ,it will interest you to know that ,i am working with a young ,dr4 ,born upon an anatomy and natural history of the fresh-water fishes of ,europe4 ,we have already gathered a great deal of material1 and ,i think by the spring1 or in the course of the summer1 we shall be able to publish the first number4444 ,i earnestly advise you to while away your leisure hours with study4 ,read much1 but only good and useful books4444 ,remember that statistical and political knowledge alone distinguishes the true merchant from the mere tradesmen1 and guides him in his undertakings4444 ,write me about what you are reading1 and about your plans and projects1 for ,i can hardly believe that any one could exist without forming them2 ,i1 at least1 could not4 ,it is not strange that the watchful mother begins to be anxious1 for she hears nothing from her son about her project of medicine4 ,she writes him that she detects in his letters a certain sadness and discontent4 ,how is it1 she says1 that you look forward only with distaste to the practice of medicine8 ,have you reflected seriously before setting aside this profession8 ,indeed1 we cannot consent to such a step2 you would lose ground in our opinion1 in that of your family1 and in that of the public you would pass for an inconsiderate1 fickle young fellow1 and the slightest stain on your reputation would be a mortal blow to us4444 ,of course you will not gather roses without thorns4 ,life consists of pains and pleasures everywhere4 ,to do all the good you can to your fellow-beings1 to have a pure conscience1 to gain an honorable livelihood1 to procure for yourself by work a little ease1 to make those around you happy1 that is true happiness2 all the rest but mere accessories and chimeras4 ,and then the good ,swiss minister adds1 thus to quiet his son's restless nature1 ,if it be absolutely essential to your happiness that you should break the ice of the two poles in order to find the hairs of a mammoth1 444 at least wait till your trunk is packed and your passports are signed before you talk with us about it4 ,begin by reaching your first aim1 a physician's and surgeon's diploma4444 ,my own philosophy is to fulfil my duties in my sphere1 and even that gives me more than ,i can do4 ,fortunately ,louis ,agassiz did not possess the kind of philosophy that brings content in a small parish on a ,swiss lake2 his sphere was to be the world1 and two continents were to be proud of him4 ,in #ahag1 the ,king of ,bavaria had sent two naturalists1 ,m4 ,martius and ,m4 ,spix1 on an exploring expedition to ,brazil4 ,they returned in four years1 laden with treasures4 ,m4 ,martius issued colored illustrations of all the unknown plants he had collected1 and ,m4 ,spix several volumes on the monkeys1 birds1 and reptiles of ,brazil4 ,he had intended to give a complete natural history of ,brazil1 but died before his work was finished4 ,martius asked ,agassiz to continue the work of ,spix1 in the line of fishes4 ,agassiz writes to his sister ,cecile3 ,i hesitated for a long time to accept this honorable offer1 fearing that the occupation might withdraw me too much from my studies2 but1 on the other hand1 the opportunity for laying the foundation of a reputation by a large undertaking seemed too favorable to be refused4 ,the first volume is already finished1 and the printing was begun some weeks ago4444 ,already forty colored folio plates are completed4 ,will it not seem strange when the largest and finest book in papa's library is one written by his ,louis8 ,will it not be as good as to see his prescription at the apothecary's8 ,it is true that this first effort will bring me in but little2 nothing at all1 in fact1 because ,m4 de ,martius has assumed all the expenses1 and will1 of course1 receive the profits4 ,my share will be a few copies of the book1 and these ,i shall give to the friends who have the first claim4 ,he writes to his father1 as though half apologizing for the fact that he is writing a book on natural history1 at the same time showing the real purpose of his life3 ,i wish it may be said of ,louis ,agassiz that he was the first naturalist of his time1 a good citizen1 and a good son1 beloved of those who knew him4 ,i feel within myself the strength of a whole generation to work toward this end1 and ,i will reach it if the means are not wanting4 ,thus early in life he had fixed the mark to which he would attain1 the first naturalist of his time4 ,no wonder he succeeded1 when he felt within himself the strength of a whole generation to work toward this end4 ,in the summer of #ahbi1 when he was twenty-two1 the first part of the ,brazilian ,fishes was published1 and a copy sent to the fond parents4 ,good ,m4 ,agassiz wrote back3 ,i have no terms in which to express the pleasure it has given me4 ,in two words1 for ,i have only a moment to myself1 ,i repeat my urgent entreaty that you would hasten your return as much as possible4444 ,the old father1 who waits for you with open heart and arms1 sends you the most tender greeting4 ,he had been devoting his time to science--just what they feared1--but how proud they were to have him succeed6 ,cuvier1 the great leader in zooelogy1 to whom the book was dedicated1 wrote back3 ,you and ,m4 de ,martius have done me honor in placing my name at the head of a work so admirable as the one you have just published4 ,the importance and the rarity of the species therein described1 as well as the beauty of the figures1 will make the work an important one in ichthyology1 and nothing could heighten its value more than the accuracy of your descriptions4 ,it will be of the greatest use to me in my ',history of ,fishes4'444 ,i shall do all in my power to accelerate the sale among amateurs1 either by showing it to such as meet at my house1 or by calling attention to it in scientific journals4 ,another project had now taken form in ,agassiz's active brain1 his great work on ,poissons ,fossiles1 which a few years later placed him in the front rank of scientific men4 ,he wrote to ,auguste3 ,having1 by permission of the director of the museum1 one of the finest collections of fossils in ,germany at my disposition1 and being also allowed to take the specimens home as ,i need them1 ,i have undertaken to publish the ichthyological part of the collection4 ,since it only makes the difference of one or two people more to direct1 ,i have these specimens also drawn at the same time4 ,nowhere so well as here1 where the ,academy of ,fine ,arts brings together so many draughtsmen1 could ,i have the same facility for completing a similar work2 and as it is an entirely new branch1 in which no one has as yet done anything of importance1 ,i feel sure of success2 the more so because ,cuvier1 who alone could do it 7for the single reason that every one else has till now neglected the fishes71 is not engaged upon it4 ,add to this that just now there is a real need of this work for the determination of the different geological formations4 ,and then he urges ,auguste to intercede with his uncle at ,neuchatel for one hundred louis4 ,at this very time1 when he was keeping two or three artists on his slender means1 says his wife1 he made his own breakfast in his room1 and dined for a few cents a day at the cheapest eating-houses4 ,but where science was concerned the only economy he recognized1 either in youth or old age1 was that of an expenditure as bold as it was carefully considered4 ,he was now at work finishing the ,brazilian ,fishes1 and carrying forward the ,fresh-,water ,fishes and the ,fossil ,fishes4 ,besides these1 he read medical works till midnight1 and wrote seventy-four theses on anatomical1 pathological1 surgical1 and obstetrical subjects4 ,he took his degree of medicine ,april #c1 #ahcj4 ,he writes to his mother3 ,the whole ceremony lasted nine days4 ,at the close1 while they considered my case1 ,i was sent out of the room4 ,on my return1 the dean said to me1 ',the faculty have been very much' 7emphasized7 'pleased with your answers2 they congratulate themselves on being able to give the diploma to a young man who has already acquired so honorable a reputation4' 444 ,the rector then added that he should look upon it as the brightest moment of his rectorship when he conferred upon me the title ,i had so well merited4 ,and the glad mother writes back3 ,i cannot thank you enough1 my dear ,louis1 for the happiness you have given me in completing your medical examinations1 and thus securing to yourself a career as safe as it is honorable4444 ,you have for my sake gone through a long and arduous task2 were it in my power ,i would gladly reward you1 but ,i cannot even say that ,i love you the more for it1 because that is impossible4 ,my anxious solicitude for your future is a proof of my ardent affection for you2 only one thing was wanting to make me the happiest of mothers1 and this1 my ,louis1 you have just given me4 ,agassiz had taken the degree of ,doctor of ,philosophy1 a year earlier4 ,the time had come1 said he1 years afterward1 when even the small allowance ,i received from borrowed capital must cease4 ,i was now twenty-four years of age4 ,i was ,doctor of ,philosophy and ,medicine1 and author of a quarto volume on the fishes of ,brazil4 ,i had travelled on foot all over ,southern ,germany1 visited ,vienna1 and explored extensive tracts of the ,alps4 ,i knew every animal1 living and fossil1 in the museums of ,munich1 ,stuttgart1 ,tuebingen1 ,erlangen1 ,wurzburg1 ,carlsruhe1 and ,frankfort2 but my prospects were as dark as ever1 and ,i saw no hope of making my way in the world1 except by the practical pursuit of my profession as physician4 ,december #d1 #ahcj1 ,agassiz said good-by to ,munich1 and started with ,mr4 ,dinkel1 his artist1 for ,concise1 his father having moved there from ,orbe4 ,here he remained a year1 arranging1 meantime1 his own valuable collections in natural history1 at the house of his grandfather ,mayor1 at ,cudrefin1 on ,lake ,neuchatel1 and practising a little in medicine1 in the neighboring villages4 ,he longed to go to ,paris for study1 but poverty was his constant companion4 ,finally1 an old friend of his father1 a ,swiss clergyman1 ,m4 ,christinot1 having come into possession of a small amount of money1 urged his young friend to take it4 ,his uncle also contributed a little1 and ,agassiz and ,dinkel left for ,paris in ,september1 #ahca4 ,on their arrival they found inexpensive lodgings1 and at once began to work in the museums4 ,he writes to his sister ,olympe3 ,m4 ,cuvier and ,m4 ,humboldt especially treat me on all occasions as an equal1 and facilitate for me the use of the scientific collections so that ,i can work here as if ,i were at home4444 ,in the morning ,i follow the chemical courses at the ,pitie4444 ,at ten o'clock1 or perhaps at eleven1 ,i breakfast1 and then go to the ,museum of ,natural ,history1 where ,i stay till dark4 ,between five and six ,i dine1 and after that turn to such medical studies as do not require daylight4444 ,on ,saturday only1 ,i spend the evening at ,m4 ,cuvier's4 ,he writes later to his brother that there is another excellent reason why he does not spend more evenings in society1 because he has no presentable coat4444 ,you can imagine that1 after the fuel bill for the winter is paid1 little remains for other expenses out of my two hundred francs a month1 five louis of which are always due to my companion4 ,far from having anything in advance1 my month's supply is thus taken up at once4 ,evidently he had no more money than when he and ,auguste copied whole volumes at the ,zurich school4 ,cuvier was so much drawn to the young naturalist that he gave him and his artist a corner in one of his own laboratories1 and1 more than this1 his drawings of fossil fishes and notes which he had taken in the ,british ,museum and elsewhere4 ,cuvier said1 three months later1 with regard to some work1 ,you are young2 you have time enough for it1 and ,i have none to spare4 ,agassiz now studied fifteen hours daily1 sometimes seventeen4 ,cuvier commended his devotion1 but said one evening as he left him1 ,be careful1 and remember that work kills4 ,the next day he was paralyzed and died soon after1 ,agassiz never seeing him again4 ,it became evident that ,paris1 with her scientific treasures1 could not be enjoyed longer4 ,he must go back to ,switzerland1 and find a place to teach1 as his sympathetic mother urged him to do4 ,just when the sky was darkest1 a letter came from ,humboldt1 enclosing a check for one thousand francs6 ,consider it1 he said1 an advance which need not be paid for years1 and which ,i will gladly increase when ,i go away or even earlier4 ,it would pain me deeply should the urgency of my request1 made in the closest confidence1--in short1 a transaction as between two friends of unequal age1--be disagreeable to you4 ,i should wish to be pleasantly remembered by a young man of your character4 ,yours1 with the most affectionate respect1 ,alexander ,humboldt4 ,how delicately offered was this charity in the guise of a loan6 ,to give is blessed2 to give without wounding the recipient is more blessed still6 ,the tender heart of ,agassiz was deeply moved4 ,he wrote his mother3 ,oh6 if my mother would forget for one moment that this is the celebrated ,m4 de ,humboldt1 and find courage to write him only a few lines1 how grateful ,i should be to her4 ,i think it would come better from her than from papa1 who would do it more correctly1 no doubt1 but perhaps not quite as ,i should like4 ,she wrote a thankful letter1 and the great man replied3 ,i should scold your son1 madame1 for having spoken to you of the slight mark of interest ,i have been able to show him2 and yet1 how can ,i complain of a letter so touching1 so noble in sentiment1 as the one ,i have just received from your hand8 ,accept my warmest thanks for it4444 ,one might well despair of the world if a person like your son1 with information so substantial and manners so sweet and prepossessing1 should fail to make his way4 ,this money made it possible for ,agassiz to work in ,paris1 until a professorship of ,natural ,history was created for him at ,neuchatel1 through the influence of ,humboldt and others4 ,humboldt wrote3 ,agassiz is distinguished by his talents1 by the variety and substantial character of his attainments1 and by that which has a special value in these troubled times1 his natural sweetness of disposition4 ,this sweetness of disposition was worth more to ,agassiz1 all through life1 than a fortune4 ,it drew everybody to him4 ,it opened the pockets of the wealthy to carry forward his great projects4 ,it won the hearts of his pupils on two hemispheres4 ,it made his home a delight1 and his presence a constant blessing4 ,he assumed the duties of his professorship at ,neuchatel in the autumn of #ahcb1 giving his first lecture1 ,upon the ,relations between the different branches of ,natural ,history and the then prevailing tendencies of all the ,sciences1 ,november #ab1 at the ,hotel de ,ville4 ,a society for the study of the natural sciences was soon formed1 and ,agassiz became its secretary4 ,so natural1 so enthusiastic1 so full of his subject1 was he1 that everybody became interested4 ,to little companies of his friends and neighbors he lectured on botany1 on zooelogy1 and the philosophy of nature4 ,even the children were delighted to gather and be told how lakes1 springs1 rivers1 and valleys are formed4 ,when it was impossible to give the lessons out-of-doors1 the children were gathered around a large table1 where each one had before him or her the specimens of the day1 sometimes stones and fossils1 sometimes flowers1 fruits1 or dried plants4444 ,when the talk was of tropical or distant countries1 pains were taken to procure characteristic specimens1 and the children were introduced to dates1 bananas1 cocoa-nuts1 and other fruits1 not to be easily obtained in those days in a small inland town4 ,they1 of course1 concluded the lesson by eating the specimen1 a practical illustration which they greatly enjoyed4 ,three months after his settlement at ,neuchatel1 where eighty louis had been guaranteed to him for three years1 he was invited to ,heidelberg1 to succeed his former professor1 ,leuckart1 in zooelogy4 ,he would receive a salary of five hundred florins1 besides about fifteen hundred gulden for lectures and literary work4 ,he declined the honor1 because he wished more time to devote to his writing4 ,the following year ,neuchatel purchased his collections in natural history1 thus affording him some pecuniary aid in his work4 ,a serious misfortune now threatened him in the loss of sight4 ,having injured his eyes by microscopic work1 for several months he was shut up in a dark room1 practising the study of his fossils by touch alone2 by the tongue when the fingers were not sufficiently sensitive to feel out the impression4 ,with great care his eyes improved1 so that he was able to use them through life more constantly than most persons4 ,in ,october1 #ahcc1 when he was twenty-six1 ,agassiz married ,cecile ,braun of ,carlsruhe1 the sister of his life-long friend ,alexander4 ,they began housekeeping in a small apartment at ,neuchatel1 both practising the closest economy that the books might be carried on2 the ,fresh-,water ,fishes1 and the ,fossil ,fishes4 ,she was a skilful artist1 had done much work for her brother in botany1 and now helped her young husband in drawing and coloring his fishes4 ,the first number of the ,fossil ,fishes had already appeared1 with the following title1 which shows the plan of the great work1 to which he devoted ten years1 from #ahcc to #ahdc3-- ,researches on the ,fossil ,fishes3 comprising an ,introduction to the ,study of these ,animals2 the ,comparative ,anatomy of ,organic ,systems which may contribute to facilitate the ,determination of ,fossil ,species2 a ,new ,classification of ,fishes1 expressing their relations to the ,series of ,formations2 the ,explanation of the ,laws of their ,succession and ,development during all the ,changes of the ,terrestrial ,globe1 accompanied by ,general ,geological ,considerations2 finally1 the ,description of about a thousand ,species which no longer exist1 and whose ,characters have been restored from ,remains contained in the ,strata of the ,earth4 ,the work was inscribed to ,humboldt4 ,these pages owe to you their existence2 accept their dedication4 ,it met everywhere the most favorable reception4 ,elie de ,beaumont wrote to ,agassiz3 ,it promises a work as important for science as it is remarkable in execution4 ,do not let yourself be discouraged by obstacles of any kind2 they will give way before the concert of approbation which so excellent a work will awaken4 ,agassiz had become known to scholars throughout ,europe1 as an indefatigable worker1 but he was still poor4 ,now and then there came a gleam of sunshine into the straitened life4 ,in #ahcd1 he was greatly surprised to receive from the ,london ,geological ,society1 through ,sir ,charles ,lyell1 the ,wollaston prize1 of about one hundred and fifty dollars1 conferred upon him for his work on fishes4 ,he writes back to ,lyell3 ,you cannot imagine the joy your letter has given me4 ,the prize awarded me is at once so unexpected an honor and so welcome an aid that ,i could hardly believe my eyes when1 with tears of relief and gratitude1 ,i read your letter4 ,in the presence of a savant1 ,i need not be ashamed of my penury1 since ,i have spent the little ,i had wholly in scientific researches4 ,i do not1 therefore1 hesitate to confess to you that at no time could your gift have given me greater pleasure4 ,generous friends have helped me to bring out the first number of my ',fossil ,fishes2' the plates of the second are finished1 but ,i was greatly embarrassed to know how to print a sufficient number of copies before the returns from the first should be paid in4 ,the text is ready also1 so that now1 in a fortnight1 ,i can begin the distribution1 and1 the rotation once established1 ,i hope that preceding numbers will always enable me to publish the next in succession without interruption4 ,i even count upon this resource as affording me the means of making a journey to ,england before long4 ,in ,august1 #ahcd1 ,agassiz went to ,england1 and there formed delightful friendships with such men as ,lyell1 ,murchison1 ,buckland1 and others4 ,he was allowed to cull1 from sixty or more collections1 some two thousand fossil fishes1 and deposit them in the ,somerset ,house in ,london1 where ,mr4 ,dinkel1 the artist1 remained for several years at work1 copying4 ,in the summer of #ahcf1 he began his remarkable study of the glaciers4 ,he was so cramped for means to carry forward his ,fossil ,fishes1 that it seemed probable that he must discontinue it1 when opportunely his original drawings were purchased by ,lord ,francis ,egerton and given to the ,british ,museum4 ,the financial condition was thus bettered for a time4 ,his investigation of the slopes of the ,jura led to an address before the ,helvetic ,association assembled at ,neuchatel in #ahcg1 in which he said3 ,siberian winter established itself for a time over a world previously covered with a rich vegetation and peopled with large mammalia1 similar to those now inhabiting the warm regions of ,india and ,africa4 ,death enveloped all nature in a shroud1 and the cold1 having reached its highest degree1 gave to this mass of ice1 at the maximum of tension1 the greatest possible hardness4 ,he showed how huge boulders had been distributed over the continent4 ,his views excited much opposition1 from most of the older geologists4 ,even ,humboldt said1 ,your ice frightens me4 ,but the discussion convinced the scientific world that ,agassiz was both original and brilliant4 ,he was soon called to a professorship of geology and mineralogy at ,geneva1 with a salary of three thousand francs1 and also to ,lausanne2 but he refused both offers4 ,so pleased were the people of ,neuchatel that they made him accept a present of six thousand francs1 payable during three years4 ,in #ahch1 ,agassiz founded a lithographic printing establishment in ,neuchatel1 where his work could be done under his own direction instead of in ,munich4 ,he was now1 besides his duties as professor1 at work on ,living and ,fossil ,echinoderms and ,mollusks1 as well as ,fresh-,water and ,fossil ,fishes1 and soon after upon the ,etudes sur les ,glaciers1 with an atlas of thirty-two plates4 ,the book gave an account of all previous glacial study1 and the observations of himself and companions4 ,agassiz displayed during these years1 said one of his co-workers1 an incredible energy1 of which the history of science offers1 perhaps1 no other example4 ,he worked always till midnight1 often till two or three o'clock1 sitting for hours at his microscope1 troubled much with congestion of the head and eyes4 ,the expense involved in his work was enormous1 and he was burdening himself with debts1 which are more wearing and destructive to health and happiness than any amount of work can ever be4 ,still he struggled on1 through these dark days of poverty4 ,he was only thirty-three1 so young-looking that1 on seeing him1 people asked if he were the son of the celebrated professor of ,neuchatel4 ,he had already been chosen a member of the ,royal ,society of ,london4 ,in #ahdj he made his first permanent station on the ,alps1 taking with him barometers1 thermometers1 hygrometers1 psychometers1 boring apparatus1 and microscopes1 making the ,hospice of the ,grimsel his base of supplies1 and the lower ,aar glacier the scene of his work4 ,a huge boulder1 its upper surface forming a roof1 with a stone wall constructed on one side1 became the sleeping-room of ,agassiz and five friends4 ,this abode was called the ,hotel des ,neuchatelois4 ,jacob ,leuthold1 an intrepid ,swiss1 was their chief guide4 ,he died at thirty-seven1 sincerely mourned by all4 ,they made dangerous ascents of snow-covered peaks1 measured the depth and forward movement of glaciers1 ,agassiz even being lowered by ropes one hundred and twenty-five feet into a glacial well1 to investigate its formation4 ,all ,europe was becoming interested in glaciers4 ,edward ,forbes wrote from ,edinburgh3 ,you have made all the geologists glacier-mad here1 and they are turning ,great ,britain into an ice-house4 ,darwin was deeply interested4 ,he wrote from ,north ,wales3 ,the valley about here and the site of the inn at which ,i am now writing must once have been covered by at least eight hundred or one thousand feet in thickness of solid ice6 ,eleven years ago ,i spent a whole day in the valley where yesterday everything but the ice of the glaciers was palpably clear to me1 and ,i then saw nothing but plain water and bare rock4 ,agassiz now began work on his ,nomenclator ,zooelogicus1 and his ,bibliographia ,zooelogiae et ,geologiae1 the former comprising an enumeration of all the genera of the animal kingdom1 with the etymology of their names1 the names of those who had first proposed them1 and the date of their publication4 ,the latter contained a list of all the authors named in the ,nomenclator1 with notices of their works4 ,this was published by the ,royal ,society in ,england1 in #ahdh1 the expense being too great for one person4 ,in #ahdc the ,fossil ,fishes1 in five large volumes1 was completed1 and the following year his ,monograph on the ,fossil ,fishes of the ,old ,red ,sandstone1 or the ,devonian ,system of ,great ,britain and ,russia1 was published1 a large volume accompanied by forty-one plates4 ,the discovery of these fossils was due to ,hugh ,miller1 whose interesting life and pathetic death will always be associated with the study of the ,old ,red ,sandstone4 ,in the spring of #ahdf1 a great change took place in the life of the overworked naturalist4 ,he had long hoped to visit the ,united ,states for scientific investigation1 and now the time had come4 ,the ,king of ,prussia1 at the request of ,humboldt1 granted him fifteen thousand francs for this purpose--he had previously given ,agassiz one thousand dollars for his glacial researches4444 ,leaving his wife and daughters with ,alexander ,braun1 her brother1 at ,carlsruhe1 and his son ,alexander at school at ,neuchatel1 ,agassiz said good-by to his students1 who came at two o'clock at night1 in procession with torchlights4 ,going to ,paris1 he spent some time in bringing out his second work upon the glaciers1 ,systeme ,glaciaire1 receiving the ,monthyon ,prize of ,physiology from the ,academy1 and sailed for ,america in ,september1 #ahdf4 ,humboldt wrote him from ,sans-,souci3 ,be happy in this new undertaking1 and preserve for me the first place under the head of friendship in your heart4 ,when you return1 ,i shall be here no more1 but the king and queen will receive you on this historic hill with the affection which1 for so many reasons1 you merit4 ,your illegible but much attached friend4 ,sir ,charles ,lyell1 of ,england1 who had given a successful course of lectures before the ,lowell ,institute1 ,boston1 arranged a similar course with ,mr4 ,lowell for his friend ,agassiz4 ,perhaps money has never been given more wisely in our country than by the refined ,john ,lowell1 ,jr41 of ,boston1 who1 dying in a foreign country at thirty-seven1 bereft of wife and children1 left a quarter of a million dollars to provide for regular courses of free public lectures upon the most important branches of natural and moral science1 to be annually delivered in the city of ,boston4 ,none of the bequest could be used for buildings1 and ten per cent4 of the accumulation of the fund was to be set aside annually to continue it4 ,since ,december #a1 #ahci1 from six to ten courses have been given yearly to large audiences1 by some of the most distinguished persons in ,europe and ,america4 ,natural and moral science6 ,how broad the subject1 and how incalculable the benefit to any city1 great or small6 ,what a means for the best general education2 what an uplifting of the whole mental and social life of a community6 ,agassiz came to ,boston and gave twelve lectures on the ,plan of the ,creation1 especially in the ,animal ,kingdom4 ,his speech had a foreign accent2 but his enthusiastic love of his subject1 his skill in drawing on the blackboard1 and his eloquent but simple language soon won all hearts4 ,he was as pleased with the ,americans as they were with him4 ,he wrote to his beloved mother 7his father had died ten years before73 ,i can only say that the educated ,americans are very accessible and very pleasant4 ,they are obliging to the utmost degree2 indeed1 their cordiality toward strangers exceeds any that ,i have met elsewhere4444 ,the liberality of the ,american naturalists toward me is unparalleled4444 ,the government 7of the ,state of ,new ,york7 has just completed the publication of a work unique of its kind1 a natural history of the ,state in sixteen volumes1 quarto1 with plates4 ,twenty-five hundred copies have been printed1 only five hundred of which are for sale1 the rest being distributed throughout the ,state4 ,four volumes are devoted to geology and mining alone2 the others1 to zooelogy1 botany1 and agriculture4 ,yes1 twenty-five hundred copies of a work in sixteen volumes1 quarto1 scattered throughout the ,state of ,new ,york alone6 ,when ,i think that ,i began my studies in natural history by copying hundreds of pages from a ,lamarck which some one had lent me1 and that to-day there is a state in which the smallest farmer may have access to a costly work1 worth a library to him in itself1 ,i bless the efforts of those who devote themselves to public instruction4 ,agassiz was at once asked to give a second course before the ,lowell ,institute1 on glaciers4 ,this1 like the first1 was greatly enjoyed by the two thousand or more persons present4 ,invitations now came from other cities1 but he said1 ,i will limit myself to what ,i need in order to repay those who have helped me through a difficult crisis4444 ,beyond that all must go again to science1--there lies my true mission4 ,he passed his fortieth birthday1 ,may #bh1 #ahdg1 with ,dr4 ,b4 ,e4 ,cotting1 curator of the ,lowell ,institute1 at whose home he had stayed through some weeks of illness4 ,his host1 seeing him standing thoughtfully at the window1 said1 ,why so sad8 ,that ,i am so old and have done so little1 was the reply4 ,in the summer of #ahdg1 ,agassiz rented a small house in ,east ,boston1 sufficiently near to the ocean to study marine animals4 ,he also gave lectures in ,new ,york1 ,philadelphia1 ,albany1 and other eastern cities4 ,the next spring1 the ,lawrence ,scientific ,school was organized at ,cambridge1 in connection with ,harvard ,university1 and ,agassiz was offered the chair of ,natural ,history 7zooelogy and geology71 with a salary of fifteen hundred dollars4 ,the school owed its existence to ,abbott ,lawrence1 formerly our minister to ,england4 ,agassiz accepted the position1 and opened his first course in ,april1 #ahdh4 ,here he found congenial friends1 ,longfellow1 ,lowell1 ,prescott1 ,motley1 ,gray1 ,holmes1 and others4 ,m4 ,christinot1 who had so generously helped to send him to ,paris years before1 came to the ,cambridge home and was put in charge of it4 ,if your old friend1 he said1 can live with his son ,louis1 it will be the height of his happiness4 ,the small plot of ground about the house became a zooelogical garden1 with its tank for turtles and an alligator1 its cage for eagles1 a tame bear1 and a family of opossums4 ,agassiz had already begun his ,museum of ,comparative ,zooelogy1 on the banks of the ,charles ,river1 in an old shanty4 ,the outlook was hopeful2 but he was sad at heart1 for ,cecile1 his wife1 had died since he came to ,america1 and his children seemed too young to bring into a home where there was no mother4 ,in the summer of #ahdh1 ,agassiz organized an expedition of students and naturalists for the examination of the eastern and northern shores of ,lake ,superior4 ,at ,niagara1 he saw for the first time a living garpike1 the only representative among modern fishes of the fossil type of ,lepidosteus4 ,he made a careful study of the fauna and geology of the lake1 and the results were published in a book4 ,charles ,darwin wrote1 ,i have seldom been more deeply gratified than by receiving your most kind present of ',lake ,superior4' 444 ,i had heard of it1 and had much wished to read it1 but ,i confess it was the very great honor of having in my possession a work with your autograph as a presentation copy that has given me such lively and sincere pleasure4 ,agassiz had published another book in ,america1 in #ahdh1 ,principles of ,zooelogy1 which had a large sale1 and was much used in schools4 ,in #ahdi1 his only son1 fifteen years old1 came to live with his father4 ,the following year1 #ahej1 ,agassiz married ,elizabeth ,cabot ,gary1 of ,boston1 a cultivated and lovely woman4 ,his daughters1 much younger than their brother1 arrived from ,europe the same year4 ,m4 ,christinot1 though urged to remain1 now preferred to find another home1 settled in ,new ,orleans as pastor1 and later died in ,switzerland4 ,the winter of #ahea was spent in the examination of the ,florida reefs and keys1 a work undertaken at the request of ,prof4 ,a4 ,d4 ,bache1 at the head of the ,united ,states ,coast ,survey4 ,the results were valuable in showing how far the soil now building up from accumulations of mud and coral debris was likely to remain for a long time shifting and uncertain1 and how far and in what localities it might be relied upon as affording a stable foundation1 for building lighthouses1 etc4 ,agassiz brought back for his museum a fine collection of corals1 of all varieties and in all stages of growth1 with drawings made on the spot1 from the living animals4 ,this year he accepted a professorship at the medical college in ,charleston1 ,s4 ,c41 lecturing during the three winter months1 between his autumn and spring courses at ,cambridge4 ,the overwork finally resulted in a dangerous illness1 and he was obliged to discontinue it in #ahec4 ,the year previous he received the ,prix ,cuvier for his ,fossil ,fishes4 ,his fond mother wrote3 ,this has given me such happiness1 dear ,louis1 that the tears are in my eyes as ,i write it to you4 ,he now issued a circular asking for collections of fishes from various fresh-water systems of the ,united ,states1 and responses came from every direction4 ,new ,england captains1 when they started on a cruise1 took out cans1 furnished by ,agassiz1 for collections in distant ports4 ,fishermen and farmers1 indeed all classes1 heartily joined in cooeperating with the man who had said in the ,university at ,munich1 ,i will be a leader of others1 and he had reached the mark which he set for himself4 ,in #ahed he was urged to accept a professorship in the recently established ,university of ,zurich1 ,switzerland2 but he declined1 for he had one definite aim in ,america1 to found a great museum1 where the best methods of study could be adopted4 ,he said in his ,fossil ,fishes3 ,possessing no fossil fishes myself1 and renouncing forever the acquisition of collections so precious1 ,i have been forced to seek the materials for my work in all the collections of ,europe containing such remains2 ,i have1 therefore1 made frequent journeys in ,germany1 in ,france1 and in ,england1 in order to examine1 describe1 and illustrate the objects of my researches2 but1 notwithstanding the cordiality with which even the most precious specimens have been placed at my disposition1 a serious inconvenience has resulted from this mode of working1 namely1 that ,i have rarely been able to compare directly the various specimens of the same species from different collections1 and that ,i have often been obliged to make my identification from memory1 or from simple notes1 or1 in the more fortunate cases1 from my drawings only4 ,it is impossible to imagine the fatigue1 the exhaustion of all the faculties1 involved in such a method4 ,he hoped to found a museum where students should have specimens for work1 ready for their use4 ,in the winter of #ahee1 ,agassiz1 resumed his public lectures1 as his salary of fifteen hundred was insufficient to support his family1 but when the spring came he found himself exhausted by the extra work4 ,and now his noble wife thought out a plan to aid him4 ,she opened a school in their house1 for young ladies4 ,agassiz's surprise and pleasure knew no bounds when he was informed of the project4 ,he immediately took charge of the classes in physical geography1 natural history1 and botany1 giving a lecture daily on one or other of these subjects4 ,the school1 with sixty or seventy girls1 was continued for eight years1 ,agassiz having the cooeperation of his brother-in-law1 ,professor ,felton1 the noted ,greek scholar1 and other distinguished men4 ,this school was a blessing in more ways than one4 ,all these years1 the debts incurred by the publication of the ,fossil ,fishes1 and the glacial investigations1 had burdened him4 ,the wonder was that the genial1 untiring worker could labor at all under this depressing load4 ,noble devotees to science6 ,what have they not suffered to advance the cause of knowledge6 ,we sit by our pleasant firesides and read what others have wrought for us1 perhaps in want and sorrow of soul1 and we forget to be grateful or to help lift burdens4 ,this school opened by the helpful wife made ,agassiz a free man--no longer shackled by that worst form of slavery1 debt4 ,well said ,john ,ruskin3 ,my first word to all men and boys who care to hear me is1 don't get into debt4 ,starve and go to heaven1 but don't borrow4444 ,don't buy things you can't pay for6 ,indefatigable1 versatile1 comprehensive in mind1 ,agassiz at once planned another great work1 to be published in ten volumes1 though it was finally reduced to four3 ,contributions to the ,natural ,history of the ,united ,states4 ,mr4 ,francis ,c4 ,gray of ,boston1 a personal friend and a lover of letters and science1 set the subscription before the public4 ,very soon1 to ,agassiz's great delight1 he received the names of seventeen hundred subscribers1 at twelve dollars a volume4 ,he had now reached his fiftieth birthday1 completing his first volume of the new work on that day4 ,his students serenaded him1 and ,longfellow wrote1 to be read at the ,saturday ,club1 composed of ,hawthorne1 ,holmes1 ,lowell1 ,dana1 and others1 this exquisite poem3-- ,it was fifty years ago1 ,in the pleasant month of ,may1 ,in the beautiful ,pays de ,vaud1 ,a child in its cradle lay4 ,and ,nature1 the old nurse1 took ,the child upon her knee1 ,saying3 ,here is a story-book ,thy ,father has written for thee4 ,come wander with me1 she said1 ,into regions yet untrod1 ,and read what is still unread ,in the manuscripts of ,god4 ,and he wandered away and away ,with ,nature1 the dear old nurse1 ,who sang to him night and day ,the rhymes of the universe4 ,and whenever the way seemed long1 ,or his heart began to fail1 ,she would sing a more wonderful song1 ,or tell a more marvellous tale4 ,so she keeps him still a child1 ,and will not let him go1 ,though at times his heart beats wild ,for the beautiful ,pays de ,vaud2 ,though at times he hears in his dreams ,the ,ranz des ,vaches of old1 ,and the rush of mountain streams ,from glaciers clear and cold2 ,and the mother at home says1 ,hark6 ,for his voice ,i listen and yearn2 ,it is growing late and dark1 ,and my boy does not return6 ,this year1 #aheg1 ,agassiz received an unexpected honor--a call to one of the most coveted places at the ,jardin des ,plantes2 the chair of palaeontology in the ,museum of ,natural ,history1 ,paris4 ,though obliged to refuse it because he considered his life-work to be in ,america1 he appreciated the favor as also the bestowal of the ,order of the ,legion of ,honor1 and the ,copley medal from ,england4 ,twenty-seven years before1 he had received in ,paris the aid of ,humboldt in his destitution2 now1 two hemispheres competed for his services4 ,the following year1 #aheh1 ,mr4 ,francis ,c4 ,gray died1 leaving fifty thousand dollars for the establishment of a ,museum of ,comparative ,zooelogy1 to be used neither for buildings nor for salaries1 but purely for scientific needs4 ,all things come round to him who will but wait1 says ,longfellow1 in the ,falcon of ,sir ,federigo4 ,other gifts soon followed4 ,harvard ,university gave land for the site of the building4 ,the ,massachusetts ,legislature gave lands to the amount of one hundred thousand dollars4 ,over seventy-one thousand was promptly subscribed by citizens of ,boston and ,cambridge4 ,agassiz contributed all his collections1 worth thousands of dollars4 ,the corner-stone of the museum was laid one sunny afternoon in ,june1 #ahei1 and then the happy ,agassiz hastened across the ocean1 to rejoice with his mother1 in her home near the foot of the ,jura4 ,she was glad and proud now that he had become a naturalist4 ,the museum was dedicated ,november #ac1 #ahfj4 ,the plan included a main building #cfd feet long1 with wings #bje long1 the whole enclosing a hollow square4 ,the lecture rooms were at once opened4 ,especially welcome were teachers of schools1 for whom admittance was free4 ,his lectures were open to women as well as to men4 ,this would naturally be expected1 from the broad-mindedness of the man1 and the respect he must have had for the capacity of woman1 from such a mother and such a wife4 ,he had great sympathy1 says ,mrs4 ,agassiz1 with the desire of women for larger and more various fields of study and work4 ,to such men women can never be too grateful4 ,in #ahfc1 he helped to organize the ,national ,academy of ,sciences4 ,he frequently gave lectures in the large cities1 using the money for the further development of the museum4 ,in #ahfe he started1 with his wife and several assistants1 for sixteen months of scientific investigation in ,brazil1 the expenses borne by his friend1 ,mr4 ,nathaniel ,thayer1 of ,boston4 ,he writes to his mother1-- ,all those who know me seem to have combined to heighten the attraction of the journey1 and facilitate it in every respect4 ,the ,pacific ,mail ,steamship ,company have invited me to take passage with my whole party on their fine steamer1 the ,colorado4 ,they will take us1 free of all expense1 as far as ,rio de ,janeiro1--an economy of fifteen thousand francs at the start4444 ,i seem like the spoiled child of the country1 and ,i hope ,god will give me strength to repay1 in devotion to her institutions and to her scientific and intellectual development1 all that her citizens have done for me4444 ,with all my heart1 ,your ,,louis4 ,the story of this expedition has been told1 chiefly by ,mrs4 ,agassiz1 in that most interesting volume1 ,a ,journey in ,brazil4 ,on ,agassiz's return1 he gave a course of lectures before the ,lowell ,institute1 and the ,cooper ,institute1 ,new ,york1 spending the summer at his pleasant seaside home and laboratory at ,nahant4 ,the fisherman at ,nahant would pull two or three miles to bring him a rare fish2 and only for the pleasure of seeing him rush out of his little laboratory1 crying3 ,oh6 where did you get that8 ,that is a species which goes as far as ,brazil4 ,nobody has ever seen it north of ,cape ,cod4 ,come in1 come in1 and sit down6 ,in #ahfh1 ,agassiz1 invited by ,mr4 ,samuel ,hooper1 joined a party of friends in an excursion to the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,this year he was appointed non-resident professor at ,cornell ,university1 ,ithaca1 ,new ,york4 ,the ,massachusetts ,legislature now gave seventy-five thousand dollars1 and private individuals an equal sum1 to provide for the new collections at the museum4 ,later1 the museum received from the ,legislature twenty-five thousand more1 and a birthday gift to ,agassiz1 of one hundred thousand dollars1 was also used by him for his precious work4 ,september #ae1 #ahfi1 at the ,humboldt ,centennial ,celebration1 ,agassiz delivered an eloquent address before the ,boston ,society of ,natural ,history1 and the ,humboldt ,scholarship was founded at the museum4 ,the bread cast upon the waters by ,humboldt had been found after many days4 ,agassiz was now completely prostrated by overwork1 and told by his physician that for the several months in which he remained shut up in his room he must not think4 ,yet he could not banish one subject from his thoughts1 and1 with tears in his eyes1 he would sometimes exclaim1--,oh1 my museum6 my museum6 always uppermost1 by day and by night1 in health and in sickness1 always--always6 ,the great mind rallied for one more voyage of research in his beloved science4 ,in the coast-survey steamer ,hassler1 with his wife and friends1 he sailed ,december #d1 #ahga1 around ,cape ,horn1 landing at several places along the coast1 gathering rich treasures from deep-sea dredgings1 entering the ,golden ,gate ,august #bd1 #ahgb4 ,in ,october1 ,agassiz returned to ,cambridge4 ,through the gift of ,mr4 ,john ,anderson1 a wealthy ,new ,york merchant1 of the island of ,penikese1 in ,buzzard's ,bay1 with its buildings and an endowment of fifty thousand dollars1 a summer school of natural history was at once opened4 ,this year was a very busy one4 ,a series of articles were in preparation for the ,atlantic ,monthly1 in opposition to the views of ,darwin on evolution4 ,he had already published two successful books1 ,methods of ,study in ,natural ,history1 and ,geological ,sketches4 ,december #b1 #ahgc1 a lecture was given at ,fitchburg1 before a meeting of the ,massachusetts ,board of ,agriculture4 ,the next day ,agassiz spoke of dimness of sight1 and of feeling strangely asleep1 and on ,december #ad he was asleep in death4 ,he was buried from the college chapel1 the students who loved him laying a wreath of laurel upon the bier1 and singing his requiem4 ,the noble mother1 fortunately1 had died six years before him4 ,they buried him at ,mount ,auburn4 ,from the glacier of the ,aar1 not far from the spot where his little hut once stood1 they brought a boulder for his monument1 and from his old home in ,switzerland1 pine trees to grow beside his grave4 ,he loved both countries1 and both have shared in his sacred resting-place4 ,his work will never cease4 ,his museum at ,cambridge now has seventy-one rooms and twelve galleries1 with invested funds of over five hundred and eighty thousand dollars1 while the buildings and collections are valued at about seven hundred thousand dollars4 ,it is now under the charge of ,prof4 ,alexander ,agassiz1 the son of ,louis1 and to his constant generosity and devotion the museum is deeply indebted4 ,agassiz said1 ,my hope is that there shall arise upon the grounds of ,harvard a museum of natural history which shall compete with the ,british ,museum and with the ,jardin des ,plantes4 ,do not say it cannot be done1 for you cannot suppose that what exists in ,england and ,france cannot be reached in ,america4 ,i hope even that we shall found a museum which will be based upon a more suitable foundation1 and better qualified to advance the highest interests of science than these institutions of the old world4 ,agassiz not only wrote books and built museums4 ,he gave to the world a high ideal of a seeker after truth4 ,he stimulated the intellectual activity of two continents1 and blessed both of them by his own brilliant mind and his noble character4 ,,charles ,,robert ,,darwin4 ,illustration3 ,,charles ,,robert ,,darwin4 ,on ,wednesday1 ,april #bf1 #ahhb1 sitting in the ,north ,transept of ,westminster ,abbey1 ,i looked upon a sad and impressive scene4 ,under the dome stood an oaken coffin1 quite covered with white wreaths2 close by were seated the distinguished pall-bearers1 ,sir ,john ,lubbock1 ,canon ,farrar1 the ,duke of ,argyle1 ,thomas ,h4 ,huxley1 ,james ,russell ,lowell1 and others4 ,representatives of many nations were present2 the great scientists of ,france1 ,germany1 ,italy1 ,spain1 and ,russia4 ,of the thousands who were gathered to honor the famous dead1 every person wore black1 as requested on the cards of admission to the abbey4 ,perhaps never in the history of ,england have so many noted men been assembled on an occasion like this4 ,as the choir1 in their white robes1 stood about the open grave1 singing the ,dead ,march from ,saul1 the strains seemed to come from a far-off country1 producing an effect never to be forgotten4 ,darwin lies buried close to the graves of ,sir ,isaac ,newton and ,sir ,john ,herschel4 ,at ,shrewsbury1 ,england1 ,february #ab1 #ahji1 ,charles ,robert ,darwin was born1 in a square1 red-brick house at the top of a terraced bank leading down to the ,severn4 ,the greenhouse with its varied plants1 the ornamental shrubs and trees in the grounds1 became a delight as soon as the boy was old enough to observe them4 ,the mother1 ,susannah1 the daughter of ,josiah ,wedgwood of ,etruria1 a woman with a sweet and happy face1 died when ,charles was eight years old1 leaving five other children2 ,marianne1 ,caroline1 ,erasmus1 ,susan1 and ,catherine4 ,charles says of her in his autobiography1 ,it is odd that ,i can remember hardly anything about her except her death-bed1 her black velvet gown1 and her curiously constructed work-table4 ,she evidently encouraged the boy's love for flowers1 for he used to say1 at school1 that his mother had taught him how1 by looking at the inside of the blossom1 the name of the plant could be discovered4 ,the father1 ,robert ,waring ,darwin1 was a well known physician1 a man of fine physique and courtly manner1 who had amassed wealth by his skill and business ability4 ,charles's admiration of him was unbounded3 the wisest man ,i ever knew1 he used often to say4 ,his chief mental characteristics1 said ,darwin1 were his powers of observation and his sympathy1 neither of which have ,i ever seen exceeded or even equalled4 ,his sympathy was not only with the distresses of others1 but in a greater degree with the pleasures of all around him4 ,this led him to be always scheming to give pleasure to others1 and1 though hating extravagance1 to perform many generous actions4 ,for instance1 ,mr4 ,b----1 a small manufacturer in ,shrewsbury1 came to him one day1 and said he should be bankrupt unless he could at once borrow ten thousand pounds1 but that he was unable to give any legal security4 ,my father heard his reasons for believing that he could ultimately repay the money1 and1 from his intuitive perception of character1 felt sure that he was to be trusted4 ,so he advanced this sum1 which was a very large one for him while young1 and was after a time repaid4 ,i suppose that it was his sympathy which gave him unbounded power of winning confidence1 and as a consequence made him highly successful as a physician4 ,he began to practise before he was twenty-one years old1 and his fees during the first year paid for the keep of two horses and a servant4 ,on the following year his practice was large1 and so continued for about sixty years1 when he ceased to attend on any one4 ,his great success as a doctor was the more remarkable as he told me that he at first hated his profession so much that if he had been sure of the smallest pittance1 or if his father had given him any choice1 nothing should have induced him to follow it4 ,to the end of his life1 the thought of an operation almost sickened him1 and he could scarcely endure to see a person bled--a horror which he has transmitted to me4 ,charles went to the day-school in ,shrewsbury1 when he was eight years old4 ,by the time ,i went to this day-school1 he says1 my taste for natural history1 and more especially for collecting1 was well developed4 ,i tried to make out the names of plants1 and collected all sorts of things1 shells1 seals1 franks1 coins1 and minerals4 ,the passion for collecting1 which leads a man to be a systematic naturalist1 a virtuoso1 or a miser1 was very strong in me1 and was clearly innate1 as none of my sisters or brothers ever had this taste4444 ,i must have been a very simple little fellow when ,i first went to the school4 ,a boy of the name of ,garnett took me into a cake-shop one day1 and bought some cakes1 for which he did not pay1 as the shopman trusted him4 ,when he came out ,i asked him why he did not pay for them1 and he instantly answered1 ',why1 do you not know that my uncle left a great sum of money to the town on condition that every tradesman should give whatever was wanted without payment to any one who wore his old hat and moved it in a particular manner8' and he then showed me how it was moved4 ,he then went into another shop where he was trusted1 and asked for some small article1 moving his hat in the proper manner1 and of course obtained it without payment4 ,when we came out1 he said3 ',now1 if you like to go by yourself into that cake-shop 7how well ,i remember its exact position7 ,i will lend you my hat1 and you can get whatever you like if you move the hat on your head properly4' ,i gladly accepted the generous offer1 and went in and asked for some cakes1 moved the old hat and was walking out of the shop when the shopman made a rush at me1 so ,i dropped the cakes and ran for dear life1 and was astonished by being greeted with shouts of laughter by my false friend ,garnett4 ,in the summer of #ahah1 ,i went to ,dr4 ,butler's great school in ,shrewsbury1 and remained there for seven years1 till midsummer1 #ahbe1 when ,i was sixteen years old4 ,i boarded at this school1 so that ,i had the great advantage of living the life of a true schoolboy2 but as the distance was hardly more than a mile to my home1 ,i very often ran there in the longer intervals between the callings over1 and before locking up at night4 ,this1 ,i think1 was in many ways advantageous to me1 by keeping up home affections and interests4 ,i remember1 in the early part of my school life1 that ,i often had to run very quickly to be in time1 and1 from being a fleet runner1 was generally successful2 but when in doubt ,i prayed earnestly to ,god to help me1 and ,i well remember that ,i attributed my success to the prayers and not to my quick running1 and marvelled how generally ,i was aided4 ,i have heard my father and elder sister say that ,i had1 as a very young boy1 a strong taste for long1 solitary walks2 but what ,i thought about ,i know not4 ,i often became quite absorbed1 and once1 whilst returning to school on the summit of the old fortifications round ,shrewsbury1 which had been converted into a public footpath with no parapet on one side1 ,i walked off and fell to the ground1 but the height was only seven or eight feet4 ,nevertheless1 the number of thoughts which passed through my mind during this very short but sudden and wholly unexpected fall was astonishing1 and seem hardly compatible with what physiologists have1 ,i believe1 proved about each thought requiring quite an appreciable amount of time4 ,as ,dr4 ,butler's school was strictly classical1 ,darwin always felt that1 for him1 these years were nearly wasted4 ,he read many authors1 ,shakspeare1 ,thomson's ,seasons1 ,byron1 and ,scott1 but later in life1 he says1 lost all taste for poetry4 ,this he greatly regretted1 and said1 if he were to live his life over1 he would read some poetry every day4 ,the book that most influenced him was the ,wonders of the ,world1 which gave him a desire to travel1 which was finally realized in the voyage of the ,beagle4 ,he did not forget his zest in collecting1 at first1 however1 taking only such insects as he found dead1 for1 after consulting his sister1 he concluded that it was not right to kill insects for the sake of making a collection4 ,from reading ,white's ',selborne1' ,i took much pleasure in watching the habits of birds1 and even made notes on the subject4 ,in my simplicity1 ,i remember wondering why every gentleman did not become an ornithologist4 ,towards the close of my school-life1 my brother worked hard at chemistry1 and made a fair laboratory1 with proper apparatus1 in the tool-house in the garden1 and ,i was allowed to aid him as a servant in most of his experiments4 ,he made all the gases and many compounds1 and ,i read with great care several books on chemistry1 such as ,henry and ,parkes' ',chemical ,catechism4' ,the subject interested me greatly1 and we often used to go on working till rather late at night4 ,this was the best part of my education at school1 for it showed me practically the meaning of experimental science4 ,the fact that we worked at chemistry somehow got known at school1 and1 as it was an unprecedented fact1 ,i was nicknamed ',gas4'444 ,when ,i left the school1 ,i was for my age neither high nor low in it1 and ,i believe that ,i was considered by all my masters and by my father as a very ordinary boy1 rather below the common standard in intellect4 ,to my deep mortification1 my father once said to me3 ',you care for nothing but shooting1 dogs1 and rat-catching1 and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family4' ,but my father1 who was the kindest man ,i ever knew1 and whose memory ,i love with all my heart1 must have been angry and somewhat unjust when he used such words4 ,dr4 ,darwin now sent his two boys1 ,erasmus and ,charles1 to ,edinburgh ,university4 ,here1 ,charles found the lectures intolerably dull1 all except those on chemistry by ,hope4 ,his father1 evidently not being able to determine for what his son was best fitted in life1 suggested his being a doctor4 ,the youth attended the clinical wards in the hospital1 but one day witnessing two operations1 one upon a child1 he rushed away4 ,he says1 ,nor did ,i attend again1 for hardly any inducement would have been strong enough to make me do so2 this being long before the blessed days of chloroform4 ,the two cases fairly haunted me for many a long year4 ,while in ,edinburgh1 ,charles became deeply interested in marine zooelogy1 and read a paper before the ,plinian ,society1 an association organized for the study of natural history4 ,he also attended the meetings of the ,wernerian ,society1 where he heard ,audubon deliver some interesting lectures upon the habits of ,north ,american birds1 and the ,royal ,society1 where he saw ,sir ,walter ,scott in the chair as president4 ,i looked at him and at the whole scene1 says ,darwin1 with some awe and reverence1 and ,i think it was owing to this visit during my youth1 and to my having attended the ,royal ,medical ,society1 that ,i felt the honor of being elected1 a few years ago1 an honorary member of both these societies more than any other similar honor4 ,if ,i had been told at that time that ,i should one day have been thus honored1 ,i declare that ,i should have thought it as ridiculous and improbable as if ,i had been told that ,i should be elected ,king of ,england4 ,during this time1 ,charles met ,sir ,james ,mackintosh1 the best converser1 he says1 ,i ever listened to4 ,i heard afterwards1 with a glow of pride1 that he had said1 ',there is something in that young man that interests me4'444 ,to hear of praise from an eminent person1 though no doubt apt or certain to excite vanity1 is1 ,i think1 good for a young man1 as it helps to keep him in the right course4 ,after two years at ,edinburgh1 ,dr4 ,darwin1 seeing that ,charles probably would never become a physician1 sent him to ,cambridge ,university1 that he might prepare for the ,episcopal ministry4 ,of this time he says1 ,the three years which ,i spent at ,cambridge were wasted1 as far as the academical studies were concerned1 as completely as at ,edinburgh and at school4 ,i attempted mathematics1 and even went during the summer of #ahbh with a private tutor 7a very dull man7 to ,barmouth1 but ,i got on very slowly4 ,the work was repugnant to me1 chiefly from my not being able to see any meaning in the early steps in algebra4 ,he found great delight in ,paley's ,evidences of ,christianity1 and his ,moral ,philosophy4 ,at ,cambridge1 like ,humboldt1 he formed a rare friendship1 which helped towards his subsequent success4 ,professor ,henslow was an ardent scholar1 a devoted ,christian1 and a man of most winning manners and good temper4 ,from his great knowledge of botany1 entomology1 chemistry1 mineralogy1 and geology1 he became a most attractive person to young ,darwin1 whose especial passion seemed to be the collecting of beetles4 ,henslow soon became equally fond of ,darwin1 and the two took long walks together daily1 ,darwin being known as the man who walks with ,henslow4 ,darwin said of this model teacher1 years afterward1 ,he had a remarkable power of making the young feel completely at ease with him2 though we were all awe-struck with the amount of his knowledge4 ,before ,i saw him1 ,i heard one young man sum up his attainments by simply saying that he knew everything4 ,when ,i reflect how immediately we felt at ease with a man older1 and in every way immensely our superior1 ,i think it was as much owing to the transparent sincerity of his character as to his kindness of heart1 and1 perhaps1 even still more to a highly remarkable absence in him of all self-consciousness4 ,one perceived at once that he never thought of his own varied knowledge or clear intellect1 but solely on the subject in hand4 ,another charm which must have struck every one was that his manner to old and distinguished persons and to the youngest student was exactly the same2 and to all he showed the same winning courtesy4 ,he would receive with interest the most trifling observation in any branch of natural history1 and1 however absurd a blunder one might make1 he pointed it out so clearly and kindly that one left him no way disheartened1 but only determined to be more accurate the next time4 ,his lectures on botany were universally popular1 and as clear as daylight4 ,so popular were they that several of the older members of the ,university attended successive courses4 ,once every week he kept open house in the evening1 and all who cared for natural history attended these parties1 which1 by thus favoring intercommunication1 did the same good in ,cambridge1 in a very pleasant manner1 as the scientific societies do in ,london4444 ,this was no small advantage to some of the young men1 as it stimulated their mental activity and ambition4444 ,during the years when ,i associated so much with ,professor ,henslow1 ,i never once saw his temper even ruffled4 ,he never took an ill-natured view of any one's character1 though very far from blind to the foibles of others4 ,it always struck me that his mind could not be even touched by any paltry feeling of vanity1 envy1 or jealousy4 ,with all this equability of temper and remarkable benevolence1 there was no insipidity of character4 ,a man must have been blind not to have perceived that beneath this placid exterior there was a vigorous and determined will4 ,when principles came into play1 no power on earth could have turned him one hair's breadth4444 ,reflecting over his character with gratitude and reverence1 his moral attributes rise1 as they should do in the highest character1 in preeminence over his intellect4 ,through this noble friend1 ,darwin had the opportunity of taking a five years' voyage in the ship ,beagle1 as a naturalist4 ,the bark1 of two hundred and thirty-five tons1 under command of ,captain ,fitz-,roy1 was commissioned by government to survey ,patagonia1 ,tierra del ,fuego1 the shores of ,chili1 ,peru1 and some islands in the ,pacific1 and to carry a chain of chronometrical measurements round the world4 ,professor ,henslow knew the captain1 and recommended his young friend for the position4 ,darwin had read ,humboldt's travels eagerly1 and was delighted with the prospect of a journey like this4 ,dr4 ,darwin was opposed at first1 but finally said1 ,if you can find any man of common sense who advises you to go1 ,i will give my consent4 ,young ,darwin at once visited his uncle1 ,josiah ,wedgwood1 at ,maer1 who approved of the journey1 and soon convinced ,dr4 ,darwin of the wisdom of it4 ,the vessel sailed ,december #bg1 #ahca4 ,though for a young man of an extremely affectionate nature the separation from family was painful1 yet it was a glad day for ,darwin4 ,he had looked forward eagerly to it1 saying1 ,my second life will then commence1 and it shall be as a birthday for the rest of my life1 and so it proved4 ,he said1 years afterward1 ,the voyage of the ,beagle has been by far the most important event in my life1 and has determined my whole career4 ,these years were busy1 earnest ones1 devoted to constant labor4 ,to his father he wrote from ,bahia1 or ,san ,salvador1 the following spring3 ,no person could imagine anything so beautiful as the ancient town of ,bahia2 it is fairly embosomed in a luxuriant wood of beautiful trees1 and situated on a steep bank1 and overlooks the calm waters of the great ,bay of ,all ,saints4 ,the houses are white and lofty1 and1 from the windows being narrow and long1 have a very light and elegant appearance4444 ,but the exquisite1 glorious pleasure of walking amongst such flowers and such trees cannot be comprehended but by those who have experienced it4444 ,i will not rapturize again1 but ,i give myself great credit in not being crazy out of pure delight4 ,give my love to every soul at home4444 ,i think one's affections1 like other good things1 flourish and increase in these tropical regions4 ,again he writes from ,rio de ,janeiro3 ,here 7at ,rio-,macoa7 ,i first saw a tropical forest in all its sublime grandeur--nothing but the reality can give any idea how wonderful1 how magnificent the scene is4444 ,i never experienced such intense delight4 ,i formerly admired ,humboldt1 ,i now almost adore him2 he alone gives any notion of the feelings which are raised in the mind on first entering the ,tropics4 ,i am now collecting fresh-water and land animals4444 ,i am at present red-hot with spiders2 they are very interesting1 and1 if ,i am not mistaken1 ,i have already taken some new genera4 ,busy as he was1 he was ever thinking of home1 and anxious to receive letters4 ,when they were received1 he almost cried for pleasure4 ,he writes to his sister3 ,if you knew the glowing1 unspeakable delight which ,i felt at being certain that my father and all of you were well1 only four months ago1 you would not grudge the labor lost in keeping up the regular series of letters4 ,later he writes3 ,it is too delightful to think that ,i shall see the leaves fall and hear the robin sing next autumn at ,shrewsbury4 ,my feelings are those of a schoolboy to the smallest point2 ,i doubt whether ever boy longed for his holidays as much as ,i do to see you all again4 ,to his dear ,henslow he writes3 ,it is now some months since we have been at a civilized port2 nearly all this time has been spent in the most southern part of ,tierra del ,fuego4444 ,the ,fuegians are in a more miserable state of barbarism than ,i had expected ever to have seen a human being4 ,in this inclement country they are absolutely naked1 and their temporary houses are like what children make in summer with boughs of trees4 ,captain ,fitz-,roy1 on a previous voyage1 had carried several natives to ,england1 and now brought them again to their own land4 ,they had become1 says ,darwin1 entirely ,european in their habits and wishes1 so much so that the younger one had forgotten his own language1 and their countrymen paid but very little attention to them4 ,we built houses for them1 and planted gardens1 but by the time we return again on our passage round the ,horn1 ,i think it will be very doubtful how much of their property will be left unstolen4 ,at the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 ,darwin met and dined with ,sir ,john ,herschel4 ,for some time he lived at ,st4 ,helena1 within a stone's throw of ,napoleon's tomb4 ,he became so deeply interested in his geological investigations in ,south ,america1 that he wrote his sister ,susan3 ,i literally could hardly sleep at nights for thinking over my day's work4 ,the scenery was so new1 and so majestic2 everything at an elevation of twelve thousand feet bears so different an aspect from that in a lower country4 ,to another sister he wrote3 ,i trust and believe that the time spent in this voyage1 if thrown away for all other respects1 will produce its full worth in ,natural ,history2 and it appears to me the doing what little we can to increase the general stock of knowledge is as respectable an object of life as one can in any likelihood pursue4444 ,what fine opportunities for geology and for studying the infinite host of living beings6 ,is not this a prospect to keep up the most flagging spirit8 ,if ,i was to throw it away1 ,i don't think ,i should ever rest quiet in my grave4 ,darwin says3 ,as far as ,i can judge of myself1 ,i worked to the utmost during the voyage1 from the mere pleasure of investigation1 and from my strong desire to add a few facts to the great mass of facts in natural science4 ,but ,i was also ambitious to take a fair place among scientific men4 ,in studying the geology of ,st4 ,jago1 ,it then first dawned on me that ,i might perhaps write a book on the geology of the various countries visited1 and this made me thrill with delight4 ,that was a memorable hour to me1 and how distinctly ,i can call to mind the low cliff of lava beneath which ,i rested1 with the sun glaring hot1 a few strange desert plants growing near1 and with living corals in the tidal pools at my feet4 ,later in the voyage1 ,fitz-,roy asked me to read some of my journal1 and declared it would be worth publishing1 so here was a second book in prospect6 ,darwin1 stirred by the right kind of ambition1 had found his life-work4 ,it would not be in the church1 as his father had fondly hoped1 but the world would be his audience4 ,on ,october #e1 #ahcf1 ,darwin arrived at ,shrewsbury1 after five years' absence4 ,he left home a high-spirited1 warm-hearted youth1 fond of athletic sports1 and vigorous in body4 ,he came back with a passionate love for science1 with the habit of energetic industry and of concentrated attention1 but with health impaired1 which made the whole of his after life a battle with suffering4 ,yet he conquered1 and gave to his generation a wonderful example of the power of mind over body2 of victory over obstacles4 ,during the voyage he was an almost constant sufferer from sea-sickness4 ,he wrote home the last year3 ,it is a lucky thing for me that the voyage is drawing to its close1 for ,i positively suffer more from sea-sickness now than three years ago4 ,after perhaps an hour's work1 says ,admiral ,stokes1 he would say to me1 ',old fellow1 ,i must take the horizontal for it1' that being the best relief position from ship motion4 ,a stretch out on one side of the table for some time would enable him to resume his labors for a while1 when he had again to lie down4 ,it was distressing to witness this early sacrifice of ,mr4 ,darwin's health1 who ever afterwards seriously felt the ill effects of the ,beagle's voyage4 ,admiral ,mellersh says3 ,i think he was the only man ,i ever knew against whom ,i never heard a word said2 and as people1 when shut up in a ship for five years1 are apt to get cross with each other1 that is saying a good deal4 ,says another3 ,he was never known to be out of temper1 or to say one unkind or hasty word of or to any one4 ,this lovely spirit1 which so endeared him to everybody1 ,darwin kept through life1--a spirit which sheds a halo around every book he wrote1 and makes him worthy the admiration and honor of every young man4 ,many persons have the gift of writing books1 but comparatively few persons have the great gift of self-control4 ,after a brief visit with his family1 ,darwin hastened to ,cambridge1 to prepare his ,journal of ,travels4 ,he had learned on the ,beagle that a man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life4 ,after three months of hard work1 he went to ,london1 where he finished the ,journal1 and began working on his ,zooelogy of the ,voyage of the ,beagle1 and his ,geological ,observations4 ,he said at this time3 ,i have nothing to wish for1 excepting stronger health to go on with the subjects to which ,i have joyfully determined to devote my life4 ,for three years and eight months he worked untiringly4 ,he wrote ,henslow3 ,i fear the ,geology will take me a great deal of time2 ,i was looking over one set of notes1 and the quantity ,i found ,i had to read for that one place was frightful4 ,if ,i live till ,i am eighty years old ,i shall not cease to marvel at finding myself an author4 ,in the summer before ,i started1 if any one had told me that ,i should have been an angel by this time1 ,i should have thought it an equal impossibility4 ,this marvellous transformation is all owing to you4 ,darwin and ,lyell now became very intimate friends4 ,i am coming into your way1 of only working about two hours at a spell1 he writes to ,lyell2 ,i then go out and do my business in the streets1 return and set to work again1 and thus make two separate days out of one4 ,of ,lyell he said3 ,one of his chief characteristics was his sympathy with the work of others4444 ,the science of geology is enormously indebted to ,lyell--more so1 as ,i believe1 than to any other man who ever lived4 ,the ,journal was published in #ahci4 ,january twenty-nine of this year1 ,mr4 ,darwin1 now thirty years of age1 was married to his cousin1 ,emma ,wedgwood1 daughter of ,josiah ,wedgwood of ,maer1 and granddaughter of the founder of the potteries of ,etruria4 ,the extreme happiness of his married life proved the wisdom of his choice4 ,he said in after years1 ,no one can be too kind to my dear wife1 who is worth her weight in gold many times over4 ,they lived at ,no4 #ab ,upper ,gower ,street1 as he wrote a college mate1 a life of extreme quietness4444 ,we have given up all parties1 for they agree with neither of us2 and if one is quiet in ,london1 there is nothing like its quietness4 ,in #ahdb1 his ,structure and ,distribution of ,coral ,reefs was published1 a book which cost him1 he says1 twenty months of hard work1 as ,i had to read every work on the islands of the ,pacific1 and to consult many charts4 ,of this book1 ,professor ,geikie says3 ,this well known treatise1 the most original of all its author's geological memoirs1 has become one of the classics of geological literature4 ,the origin of those remarkable rings of coral-rock in mid-ocean has given rise to much speculation1 but no satisfactory solution of the problem has been proposed4 ,after visiting many of them1 and examining also coral reefs that fringe islands and continents1 he offered a theory which1 for simplicity and grandeur1 strikes every reader with astonishment4444 ,no more admirable example of scientific method was ever given to the world1 and1 even if he had written nothing else1 this treatise alone would have placed ,darwin in the very front of investigators of nature4 ,lyell wrote to ,darwin concerning this book3 ,it is all true1 but do not flatter yourself that you will be believed till you are growing bald1 like me1 with hard work and vexation at the incredulity of the world4 ,darwin's next work1 on the ,volcanic ,islands ,visited during the ,voyage of the ,beagle1 was published in #ahdd4 ,this book1 he said1 cost me eighteen months4 ,his third geological book1 ,geological ,observations on ,south ,america1 was published in #ahdf4 ,meantime1 tired of smoky ,london1 ,darwin purchased a home in ,down1 a retired village five or six hundred feet above the sea4 ,the house was a square brick building1 of three stories1 vine-covered1 in the midst of eighteen acres4 ,its chief merit1 ,darwin writes to a friend1 is its extreme rurality4 ,i think ,i was never in a more perfectly quiet country4 ,here1 for forty years1 ,darwin lived the isolated life of a student1 producing the books that made him the most noted scientist of his century4 ,of these years1 ,mr4 ,darwin said3 ,few persons can have lived a more retired life than we have done4 ,besides short visits to the houses of relations1 and occasionally to the seaside or elsewhere1 we have gone nowhere4 ,during the first part of our residence we went a little into society1 and received a few friends here2 but my health almost always suffered from the excitement4444 ,i have1 therefore1 been compelled for many years to give up all dinner parties4444 ,from the same cause ,i have been able to invite here very few scientific acquaintances4 ,my chief enjoyment and sole employment throughout life has been scientific work2 and the excitement from such work makes me for the time forget1 or drives quite away1 my daily discomfort4 ,at ,down1 ,darwin worked for eight years on two large volumes concerning cirripedia 7barnacles71 describing all the known living species2 the extinct species1 or fossil cirripedes1 were in two smaller volumes4 ,the first books were published by the ,ray ,society1 between #ahea and #ahed2 the others by the ,palaeontographical ,society4 ,about two years out of the eight were lost through illness4 ,sometimes he became half discouraged4 ,he wrote a friend1 ,i have been so steadily going downhill1 ,i cannot help doubting whether ,i can ever crawl a little uphill again4 ,unless ,i can1 enough to work a little1 ,i hope my life may be very short1 for to lie on a sofa all day and do nothing but give trouble to the best and kindest of wives and good1 dear children is dreadful4 ,darwin doubted1 in after life1 whether the work was worth the consumption of so much time1 but ,professor ,huxley thinks he never did a wiser thing than when he devoted himself to the years of patient toil which the cirriped-book cost him4444 ,the value of the cirriped monograph lies not merely in the fact that it is a very admirable piece of work1 and constituted a great addition to positive knowledge1 but still more in the circumstance that it was a piece of critical self-discipline1 the effect of which manifested itself in everything he wrote afterwards1 and saved him from endless errors of detail4 ,darwin's patient labor is shown by his working for the last half-month1 daily1 in dissecting a little animal about the size of a pin's head1 from the ,chonos archipelago1 and ,i could spend another month1 and daily see more beautiful structure4 ,during these years from #ahdf to #ahed1 death had twice disturbed the quiet life at ,down4 ,in #ahdi1 ,dr4 ,darwin died1 and his son ,charles was so ill that he could not attend the funeral4 ,in #ahea1 ,annie ,darwin died1 at the age of ten1 after a brief illness4 ,she was1 said ,darwin1 my favorite child2 her cordiality1 openness1 buoyant joyousness1 and strong affections made her most lovable4444 ,when quite a baby1 this strong affection showed itself in never being easy without touching her mother when in bed with her2 and quite lately she would1 when poorly1 fondle for any length of time one of her mother's arms4444 ,she would at almost any time spend half an hour in arranging my hair1 'making it1' as she called it1 'beautiful1' or in smoothing1 the poor1 dear darling1 my collar or cuffs--in short1 in fondling me4444 ,her whole mind was pure and transparent4 ,one felt one knew her thoroughly and could trust her4 ,i always thought that1 come what might1 we should have had1 in our old age1 at least one loving soul which nothing could have changed4 ,all her movements were vigorous1 active1 and usually graceful4 ,when going round the ,sandwalk with me1 although ,i walked fast1 yet she often used to go before1 pirouetting in the most elegant way1 her dear face bright all the time with the sweetest smiles4 ,occasionally she had a pretty coquettish manner towards me1 the memory of which is charming4444 ,in the last short illness her conduct1 in simple truth1 was angelic4 ,she never once complained2 never became fretful2 was ever considerate of others1 and was thankful in the most gentle1 pathetic manner for everything done for her4 ,when so exhausted that she could hardly speak1 she praised everything that was given her1 and said some tea 'was beautifully good4' ,when ,i gave her some water1 she said1 ',i quite thank you2' and these1 ,i believe1 were the last precious words ever addressed by her dear lips to me4 ,such consideration and politeness she naturally inherited4 ,francis ,darwin says in his delightful life of his father1 ,he always spoke to servants with politeness1 using the expression1 ',would you be so good1' in asking for anything4 ,in business matters he was equally courteous4 ,his solicitor1 who had never met him1 said1 ',everything ,i did was right1 and everything was profusely thanked for4' ,of the drawings made by his children1 he would say1 ,michael ,angelo is nothing to it6 but he always looked carefully at the work and kindly pointed out mistakes4 ,he received1 says his son1 many letters from foolish1 unscrupulous people1 and all of these received replies4 ,he used to say that if he did not answer them1 he had it on his conscience afterwards1 and1 no doubt1 it was in great measure the courtesy with which he answered every one which produced the universal and widespread sense of his kindness of nature which was so evident on his death4 ,in ,november1 #ahec1 ,darwin received the ,royal ,society's ,medal4 ,he was gratified1 finding it a pleasant little stimulus4 ,when work goes badly1 and one ruminates that all is vanity1 it is pleasant to have some tangible proof that others have thought something of one's labors4 ,november #bd1 #ahei1 when ,darwin was fifty1 his great work1 ,origin of ,species by means of ,natural ,selection1 or the ,preservation of ,favored ,races in the ,struggle for ,life1 was published4 ,for twenty years he had been making experiments with plants and animals1 and filling his note-books with facts4 ,to his old classmate1 ,fox1 he writes asking that the boys in his school gather lizards' eggs1 as well as those of snakes4 ,my object is1 he says1 to see whether such eggs will float on sea-water1 and whether they will keep alive thus floating for a month or two in my cellar4 ,i am trying experiments on transportation of all organic beings that ,i can2 and lizards are found on every island1 and therefore ,i am very anxious to see whether their eggs stand sea-water4 ,again he writes1 asking ,fox for ducklings and dorkings2 ,the chief point which ,i am and have been for years very curious about is to ascertain whether the young of our domestic breeds differ as much from each other as do their parents1 and ,i have no faith in anything short of actual measurement and the ,rule of ,three4444 ,i have got my fan-tails and pouters in a grand cage and pigeon-house1 and they are a decided amusement to me1 and delight to ,h4 ,of this book1 ,darwin himself says3 ,i worked on true ,baconian principles1 and without any theory--collected facts on a wholesale scale1 more especially with respect to domesticated productions1 by printed inquiries1 by conversation with skilful breeders and gardeners1 and by extensive reading4 ,when ,i see the list of books of all kinds which ,i read and abstracted1 including whole series of ,journals and ,transactions1 ,i am surprised at my industry4 ,i soon perceived that selection was the keystone of man's success in making useful races of animals and plants4444 ,in ,october1 #ahch1 that is1 fifteen months after ,i had begun my systematic inquiry1 ,i happened to read ',malthus on ,population1' and1 being well prepared to appreciate the struggle for existence which everywhere goes on1 from long continued observation of the habits of animals and plants1 it at once struck me that under these circumstances favorable variations would tend to be preserved1 and unfavorable ones to be destroyed4 ,the result of this would be the formation of new species4444 ,but at that time ,i overlooked one problem of great importance4444 ,this problem is the tendency in organic beings descended from the same stock to diverge in character as they become modified4 ,that they have diverged greatly is obvious from the manner in which species of all kinds can be classed under genera1 genera under families1 families under sub-orders1 and so forth4444 ,the solution1 as ,i believe1 is that the modified offspring of all dominant and increasing forms tend to become adapted to many and highly diversified places in the economy of nature4 ,the book was written slowly1 each chapter requiring at least three months4 ,when the ,origin of ,species--which had reached its thirty-third thousand in #ahhh--was published1 it created the most profound sensation throughout the thinking world4 ,heretofore1 most men of science had believed that each species had been separately created by the ,almighty1--that species were immutable1 unchanging4 ,mr4 ,darwin1 by twenty years of study1 proved to his own mind1 and now to most of the world1 that there has been a gradual evolution1 through unnumbered ages1 of one form of animal life from another4 ,he said1 ,probably all the organic beings which have ever lived on the earth have descended from some one primordial form1 into which life was first breathed4 ,the theory of evolution was not original with ,darwin4 ,lamarck1 in #ahja1 published his ,organization of ,living ,bodies1 in which he stated his belief that nature1 in all the long ages during which the world has existed1 may have produced the different kinds of plants and animals by gradually enlarging one part and diminishing another to suit the wants of each4 ,geoffrey ,saint-,hilaire1 ,goethe1 ,dr4 ,erasmus ,darwin1 the grandfather of ,charles1 all believed that species are descended from other species1 and in various ways improved4 ,some of the reasons for the belief in evolution are so simply and clearly stated by ,arabella ,b4 ,buckley1 in her ,short ,history of ,natural ,science1 that ,i quote her words3-- ,all the ,animals of each class are formed on the same plan4444 ,why should the animals of one class 7such as the vertebrate or back-boned class7 be formed all on one plan1 even to the most minute bones2 so that the wing of a bat1 the front leg of a horse1 the hand of a man1 and the flapper of a porpoise1 are all made of the same bones1 which have either grown together1 or lengthened and spread apart1 according to the purpose they serve8 ,and1 more curious still1 why should some animals have parts which are of no use to them1 but only seem to be there because other animals of the same class also have them8 ,thus the whale has teeth like the other mammalia1 but they never pierce through the gum2 and the boa-constrictor has the beginnings of hind legs1 hidden under its skin1 though they never grow out4 ,here1 again1 it seems extraordinary1 if a boa-constrictor and a whale were created separately1 that they should be made with organs which are quite useless2 while1 on the other hand1 if they were descended from the same ancestor1 as other reptiles and mammalia who have teeth and hind legs1 they might be supposed to have inherited these organs4444 ,embryos of animals alike in ,structure4 ,another still more remarkable fact was that pointed out by ,von ,baer1 that the higher animals1 such as quadrupeds1 before they are perfectly formed1 cannot be distinguished from the embryos of other and lower animals1 such as fish and reptiles4 ,if animals were created separately1 why should a dog begin like a fish1 a lizard1 and a bird1 and have at first parts which it loses as it grows into its own peculiar form8 ,living animals of a country agree with the fossil ones4444 ,we know that certain animals are only found in particular countries2 kangaroos and pouched animals1 for example1 in ,australia1 and sloths and armadillos in ,south ,america4 ,now1 it is remarkable that all the fossil quadrupeds in ,australia are also pouched animals1 though they are of different kinds and larger in size than those now living2 and in the same way different species of sloth and armadillos are found fossil in ,south ,america2 while in the rocks of ,europe fossil mammalia are found1 only slightly different from those which are living there now4 ,it seems natural to conclude that the living have descended from the fossils4 ,the study of the rocks has produced other missing links in the succession of animal life4 ,professor ,huxley1 in some lectures given in ,new ,york in #ahgf1 described the ,hesperornis1 found in the western rocks1--a huge bird1 five or six feet in length1 with teeth like a reptile4 ,in ,england a fossil reptile has been found1 the ,archaeopteryx1 having a reptile-like tail1 with a fringe of feathers on each side1 and teeth1 occupying a midway place between a bird and a reptile4 ,flying reptiles have been found1 and reptiles which walked on their hind legs4 ,those who have visited ,yale and ,amherst ,colleges must have seen the huge bird-tracks or reptile foot-prints taken from the rocks in the ,connecticut valley4 ,professor ,huxley showed the probable descent of the horse with its hoofed foot from the extinct three-toed ,hipparion of ,europe1 and that from the four-toed ,orohippus of the ,eocene formation4 ,he declared it probable that a five-toed horse would be found1 and ,professor ,marsh1 in the ,west1 has found the ,eohippus1 corresponding very nearly to ,professor ,huxley's description4 ,the question among naturalists was1 ,how can plants and animals have become thus changed8 ,darwin showed how it was possible to effect most of these changes by natural selection1 or the choosing of the best to survive in the struggle for existence4 ,as man by grafting secures the finest fruit1 and by care in animal life the swiftest horses for speed as well as the strongest for labor1 so nature selects her best for the higher development of the race4 ,darwin says1 ,there is no exception to the rule that every organic being naturally increases at so high a rate that1 if not destroyed1 the earth would soon be covered by the progeny of a single pair4 ,even slow-breeding man has doubled in twenty-five years1 and1 at this rate1 in less than a thousand years there would literally not be standing-room for his progeny4444 ,the elephant is reckoned the slowest breeder of all known animals2 it will be safest to assume that it begins breeding when thirty years old1 and goes on breeding till ninety years old1 bringing forth six young in the interval1 and surviving till one hundred years old2 if this be so1 after a period of from #gdj to #gej years1 there would be nearly nineteen million elephants alive1 descended from the first pair4 ,in various ways the weakest are destroyed4 ,darwin1 on a piece of ground three feet long and two wide1 says1 ,i marked all the seedlings of our native weeds as they came up1 and1 out of #ceg1 no less than #bie were destroyed1 chiefly by slugs and insects4 ,he gives this interesting instance of the struggle for existence4 ,i find from experiments that humble-bees are almost indispensable to the fertilization of the heart's-ease1 for other bees do not visit this flower4444 ,humble-bees alone visit red clover1 as other bees cannot reach the nectar4444 ,hence we may infer as highly probable that1 if the whole genus of humble-bees became extinct or very rare in ,england1 the heart's-ease and red clover would become very rare1 or wholly disappear4 ,the number of humble-bees in any district depends in a great measure upon the number of field-mice1 which destroy their combs and nests2 the number of mice is largely dependent1 as every one knows1 on the number of cats4 ,hence1 as ,mr4 ,darwin shows1 the frequency of certain flowers in a district may depend upon the number of cats6 ,darwin showed1 by most interesting experiments with pigeons1 that the various breeds come from the wild rock-pigeon2 that dogs are descended1 probably1 from the wolf2 that different varieties can be produced and perpetuated under changing conditions of life2 that species are only well marked and permanent varieties4 ,he showed how organs can be changed by use or disuse2 such as1 the erect ears of wild animals become drooping under domestication2 or moles have only rudimentary eyes1 covered with skin or fur1 because not needed for sight4 ,in the ,origin of ,species1 the theory of evolution received proof which was so nearly incontrovertible that the subject was brought prominently before the world as never before4 ,mr4 ,alfred ,russell ,wallace1 an able scientist1 came to the same conclusion as ,darwin in regard to the power of ,natural ,selection1 and published1 at the same time as the ,origin1 an essay ,on the ,tendency of ,varieties to depart indefinitely from the ,original ,type4 ,at once ,darwin was attacked from every quarter4 ,probably not since ,galileo showed that the earth moves round the sun has a man been so censured and persecuted for his opinions as was ,darwin4 ,he was declared atheistic1 unsettling the ,christian belief1 and opposed to the teachings of the ,bible4 ,professor ,asa ,gray of ,cambridge1 ,mass41 a devoted ,christian and able scientist1 defended and explained ,darwin's views1 now published in ,darwiniana1 claiming that the doctrine of evolution is in no wise opposed to the power and goodness of the ,almighty1 and quotes ,charles ,kingsley's words3 ,we know of old that ,god was so wise that he could make all things2 but behold1 he is so much wiser than even that1 that he can make all things make themselves4 ,kingsley wrote ,darwin3 ,i have gradually learnt to see that it is just as noble a conception of ,deity to believe that he created primal forms capable of self-development into all forms needful pro tempore and pro loco1 as to believe that he required a fresh act of intervention to supply the lacunas which he himself had made4 ,i question whether the former be not the loftier thought4 ,gray believed that to do any work by an instrument must require1 and therefore presuppose1 the exertion rather of more than of less power than to do it directly4 ,darwin said1 ,there is grandeur in this view of life1 with its several powers1 having been originally breathed by the ,creator into a few forms or into one2 and that1 whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity1 from so simple a beginning endless forms1 most beautiful and most wonderful1 have been and are being evolved4 ,darwin always felt grateful to ,asa ,gray for his defence4 ,he wrote him3 ,i declare that you know my book as well as ,i do myself2 and bring to the question new lines of illustration and argument1 in a manner which excites my astonishment and almost my envy6444 ,i said1 in a former letter1 that you were a lawyer1 but ,i made a gross mistake2 ,i am sure that you are a poet4 ,no1 ,i will tell you what you are1 a hybrid1 a complex cross of lawyer1 poet1 naturalist1 and theologian6 ,darwin wisely made no reply to his critics4 ,he said1 years later3 ,my views have often been grossly misrepresented1 bitterly opposed and ridiculed1 but this has been generally done1 as ,i believe1 in good faith4 ,on the whole1 ,i do not doubt that my works have been over and over again greatly overpraised4 ,i rejoice that ,i have avoided controversies1 and this ,i owe to ,lyell1 who1 many years ago1 in reference to my geological works1 strongly advised me never to get entangled in a controversy1 as it rarely did any good1 and caused a miserable loss of time and temper4 ,whenever ,i have found out that ,i have blundered1 or that my work has been imperfect1 and when ,i have been contemptuously criticised1 and even when ,i have been overpraised1 so that ,i have felt mortified1 it has been my greatest comfort to say hundreds of times to myself1 'that ,i have worked as hard and as well as ,i could1 and no man can do more than this4' ,the ,origin has been translated into ,french1 ,german1 ,italian1 ,dutch1 ,russian1 ,swedish1 and many other languages4 ,huxley says of it1 ,even a cursory glance at the history of the biological sciences during the last quarter of a century is sufficient to justify the assertion that the most potent instrument for the extension of the realm of natural knowledge which has come into men's hands since the publication of ,newton's ',principia' is ,darwin's ',origin of ,species4' ,the year after the ,origin was published1 ,darwin began arranging his notes for his two large volumes1 ,variation of ,animals and ,plants under ,domestication1 which1 however1 were not published till #ahfh4 ,on these two books he spent over four years4 ,they are a wonderful collection of facts1 gathered from books and from his own marvellous experiments and observations1 confirming and illustrating the law of ,natural ,selection given in the ,origin4 ,darwin had already received the ,copley medal of the ,royal ,society1 the greatest honor a scientific man can receive in ,england1 and the ,prussian ,order ,pour le ,merite1 founded by ,frederick ,,ii4 ,the order consists of thirty ,german members and a few distinguished foreigners4 ,in #ahfb the ,fertilization of ,orchids was published1 which1 required ten months of labor4 ,in this work ,darwin took the utmost delight4 ,he wrote to a friend who had sent him some of these flowers3 ,it is impossible to thank you enough4 ,i was almost mad at the wealth of ,orchids4444 ,i never was more interested in any subject in my life than in this of ,orchids4 ,the peculiarities of the flowers therein described1 as ,darwin says1 transcend in an incomparable manner the contrivances and adaptations which the most fertile imagination of man could invent4 ,in the ,origin he describes an orchid which has part of its labellum or lower lip hollowed out into a great bucket1 into which drops of almost pure water continually fall from two secreting horns which stand above it2 and when the bucket is half full the water overflows by a spout on one side4 ,the basal part of the labellum stands over the bucket1 and is itself hollowed out into a sort of chamber with two lateral entrances2 within this chamber there are curious fleshy ridges4 ,the most ingenious man1 if he had not witnessed what takes place1 could never have imagined what purpose all these parts serve4 ,but ,dr4 ,crueger saw crowds of large humble-bees visiting the gigantic flowers of this orchid1 not in order to suck nectar1 but to gnaw off the ridges within the chamber above the bucket2 in doing this they frequently pushed each other into the bucket1 and1 their wings being thus wetted1 they could not fly away1 but were compelled to crawl out through the passage formed by the spout or overflow4444 ,the passage is narrow1 and is roofed over by the column1 so that a bee1 in forcing its way out1 first rubs its back against the viscid stigma and then against the viscid glands of the pollen-masses4 ,the pollen-masses are thus glued to the back of the bee which first happens to crawl out through the passage of a lately expanded flower1 and are thus carried away4444 ,when the bee1 thus provided1 flies to another flower1 or to the same flower a second time1 and is pushed by its comrades into the bucket and then crawls out by the passage1 the pollen-mass necessarily comes first into contact with the viscid stigma1 and adheres to it1 and the flower is fertilized4 ,now at last we see the full use of every part of the flower2 of the water-secreting horns1 of the bucket half full of water1 which prevents the bees from flying away1 and forces them to crawl out through the spout1 and rub against the properly placed viscid pollen-masses and the viscid stigma4 ,darwin said3 ,the ,botanists praise my ,orchid-book to the skies4444 ,there is a superb1 but1 ,i fear1 exaggerated1 review in the ',london ,review4' ,but ,i have not been a fool1 as ,i thought ,i was1 to publish2 for ,asa ,gray1 about the most competent judge in the world1 thinks almost as highly of the book as does the ',london ,review4' ,darwin wrote several other books on plants4 ,the ,movements and ,habits of ,climbing ,plants was published in #ahge2 ,insectivorous ,plants1 in #ahge2 ,effects of ,cross and ,self-,fertilization1 in #ahgf2 ,the different ,forms of ,flowers on ,plants of the ,same ,species1 in #ahgg2 ,the ,power of ,movement in ,plants1 in #ahhj4 ,when writing his ,different ,forms of ,flowers1 he said1 ,i am all on fire at the work2 and of ,insectivorous ,plants1 ,i have been working like a madman at ,drosera4 ,here is a fact for you which is certain as you stand where you are1 though you won't believe it1 that a bit of hair1 #a_/ghjjj of one grain in weight1 placed on gland1 will cause one of the gland-bearing hairs of ,drosera to curve inwards1 and will alter the condition of the content of every cell in the foot-stalk of the gland4 ,but he was growing tired with his constant and multifarious labors4 ,he wrote to ,hooker3 ,you ask about my book1 and all that ,i can say is that ,i am ready to commit suicide2 ,i thought it was decently written1 but find so much wants rewriting that it will not be ready to go to printers for two months1 and will then make a confoundedly big book4 ,murray will say that it is no use publishing in the middle of summer1 so ,i do not know what will be the upshot2 but ,i begin to think that every one who publishes a book is a fool4 ,in #ahga the ,descent of ,man was published4 ,he worked on this book three years1 and he wrote to his friend1 ,sir ,j4 ,d4 ,hooker1 that it has half killed him4 ,for the first edition ,darwin received over seven thousand dollars4 ,it had an immense circulation in ,england and ,america1 and created a furor in ,germany4 ,darwin believed that man is descended from a hairy quadruped1 furnished with a tail and pointed ears1 probably arboreal in its habits1 and an inhabitant of the ,old ,world4 ,this creature1 if its whole structure had been examined by a naturalist1 would have been classed among the quadrumana1 as surely as would the common and still more ancient progenitor of the ,old and ,new ,world monkeys4 ,the quadrumana and all the higher mammals are probably derived from an ancient marsupial animal1 and this1 through a long line of diversified forms1 either from some reptile-like or some amphibian-like creature1 and this again from some fishlike animal4 ,in the dim obscurity of the past1 we can see that the early progenitor of all the vertebrata must have been an aquatic animal1 provided with branchiae1 with the two sexes united in the same individual1 and with the most important organs of the body 7such as the brain and heart7 imperfectly developed4 ,this animal seems to have been more like the larvae of our existing marine ,ascidians than any known form4 ,most naturalists believe1 with ,darwin1 that man has developed from some lower form1 but many urge that at some stage of development he received the gift of speech1 and mental and moral powers1 from an omnipotent ,creator4 ,darwin received much abuse and much ridicule for his views4 ,mr4 ,james ,d4 ,hague tells in ,harper's ,magazine of a visit paid to the great scientist1 when a picture in the ,hornet was shown2 the body of a gorilla1 with the head of ,darwin4 ,the latter laughed and said1 ,the head is cleverly done1 but the gorilla is bad2 too much chest2 it couldn't be like that4 ,the ,descent of ,man shows the widest research1 and is a storehouse of most interesting facts4 ,sexual ,selection shows some of the most remarkable provisions of nature1 and is as interesting as any novel4 ,this book1 like the ,origin1 has been translated into various languages4 ,in #ahgb ,the ,expression of the ,emotions in ,man and ,animals was published4 ,over five thousand copies were sold on the day of publication4 ,it was begun at the birth of his first child1 thirty-three years before4 ,he says1 ,i at once commenced to make notes on the first dawn of the various expressions which he exhibited1 for ,i felt convinced1 even at this early period1 that the most complex and fine shades of expression must all have had a gradual and natural origin4 ,he wrote to a college friend regarding this baby3 ,he is so charming that ,i cannot pretend to any modesty4 ,i defy anybody to flatter us on our baby1 for ,i defy any one to say anything in its praise of which we are not fully conscious4444 ,i had not the smallest conception there was so much in a five-mouth baby4 ,you will perceive by this that ,i have a fine degree of paternal fervor4 ,in #ahha1 ,the ,formation of ,vegetable ,mould1 through the ,action of ,worms1 with ,observations on their ,habits1 was published4 ,fragments of burnt marl1 cinders1 etc41 which had been thickly strewed over the surface of several meadows were found1 after a few years1 lying at a depth of some inches beneath the turf1 but still forming a layer4 ,ascertaining that this was the work of worms1 ,darwin made a study of their structure1 habits1 and work1 in his garden1 his fields1 and in pots of earth kept in his study4 ,the intelligence of worms1 the construction of their burrows1 and the amount of labor they can perform1 are described in a most entertaining manner4 ,over fifty thousand worms are found in a single acre of land1 or about three hundred and fifty-six pounds4 ,in many parts of ,england a weight of more than ten tons of dry earth annually passes through their bodies1 and is brought to the surface1 on each acre of land4444 ,worms prepare the ground in an excellent manner for the growth of fibrous-rooted plants and for seedlings of all kinds4 ,they periodically expose the mould to the air1 and sift it so that no stones larger than the particles which they can swallow are left in it4 ,they mingle the whole intimately together1 like a gardener who prepares fine soil for his choicest plants4444 ,the plough is one of the most ancient and most valuable of man's inventions2 but long before he existed the land was in fact regularly ploughed1 and still continues to be thus ploughed1 by earthworms4 ,it may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as have these lowly organized creatures4 ,in three years eighty-five hundred copies of the ,earthworms were sold4 ,mr4 ,darwin was now seventy-two years old4 ,already many honors had come to him1 after the severe and bitter censure4 ,in #ahgg1 he received the degree of ,,ll4,d4 from ,cambridge ,university4 ,in #ahgh1 he was elected a corresponding member of the ,french ,institute1 and of the ,berlin ,academy of ,sciences4 ,in #ahgi1 he received the ,baly ,medal of the ,royal ,college of ,physicians4 ,in #ahgi1 from the ,royal ,academy of ,turin1 the ,bressa ,prize of twelve thousand francs4 ,he valued highly two photographic albums sent from ,germany and ,holland2 one containing the pictures of one hundred and fifty-four noted scientific men2 the other1 of two hundred and seventeen lovers of natural science in the ,netherlands4 ,he wrote in thanks3 ,i am well aware that my books could never have been written1 and would not have made any impression on the public mind1 had not an immense amount of material been collected by a long series of admirable observers2 and it is to them that honor is chiefly due4 ,i suppose that every worker at science occasionally feels depressed1 and doubts whether what he has published has been worth the labor which it has cost him1 but for the few remaining years of my life1 whenever ,i want cheering1 ,i will look at the portraits of my distinguished co-workers in the field of science1 and remember their generous sympathy4 ,he was made a member of more than seventy of the learned societies of the world2 in ,america1 ,austria1 ,india1 ,belgium1 ,denmark1 ,france1 ,germany1 ,holland1 ,italy1 ,portugal1 ,russia1 ,spain1 ,sweden1 ,switzerland1 and elsewhere4 ,darwin's work was now almost over4 ,his dear friend ,lyell had gone before him1 of whom he said1 ,i never forget that almost everything which ,i have done in science ,i owe to the study of his great works4 ,his brother ,erasmus1 to whom he was tenderly attached1 died in #ahha4 ,in the spring of #ahhb he was unable to work continuously as usual1 and suffered from pain about the heart4 ,on the night of ,april #ah1 he had a severe attack and fainted4 ,when he was restored to consciousness1 he said1 ,i am not the least afraid to die4 ,he died the next day1 ,april #ai4 ,darwin died as he had lived1 with a heart overflowing with sympathy and tenderness4 ,he said1 ,i feel no remorse from having committed any great sin1 but have often and often regretted that ,i have not done more direct good to my fellow-creatures4 ,in his home life he was singularly blest4 ,his son says1 ,no one except my mother knows the full amount of suffering he endured1 or the full amount of his wonderful patience4 ,for all the latter years of his life she never left him for a night2 and her days were so planned that all his resting hours might be shared with her4 ,she shielded him from every avoidable annoyance1 and omitted nothing that might save him trouble1 or prevent him becoming overtired1 or that might alleviate the many discomforts of his ill-health4 ,i hesitate to speak thus freely of a thing so sacred as the life-long devotion which prompted all this constant and tender care4 ,but it is 444 a principal feature of his life that for nearly forty years he never knew one day of the health of ordinary men1 and that thus his life was one long struggle against the weariness and strain of sickness4 ,and yet he accomplished all his wonderful work6 ,in his relationship towards my mother1 his tender and sympathetic nature was shown in its most beautiful aspect4 ,in her presence he found his happiness1 and through her his life--which might have been overshadowed by gloom--became one of content and quiet gladness4 ,he was the idol of his children1 who used to bribe him with sixpence to come and play in working hours4 ,we all knew the sacredness of working time1 says ,mr4 ,darwin's daughter1 but that any one should resist sixpence seemed an impossibility4444 ,another mark of his unbounded patience was the way in which we were suffered to make raids into the study when we had an absolute need of sticking-plaster1 string1 pins1 scissors1 stamps1 foot-rule1 or hammer4 ,these and other such necessaries were always to be found in the study1 and it was the only place where this was a certainty4 ,we used to feel it wrong to go in during work-time2 still1 when the necessity was great we did so4 ,i remember his patient look when he said once1 ',don't you think you could not come in again2 ,i have been interrupted very often8'444 ,he cared for all our pursuits and interests1 and lived our lives with us in a way that very few fathers do4 ,his son says3 ,the way he brought us up is shown by a little story about my brother ,leonard1 which my father was fond of telling4 ,he came into the drawing-room1 and found ,leonard dancing about on the sofa1 which was forbidden1 for the sake of the springs1 and said1 ',oh1 ,lenny1 ,lenny1 that's against all rules6' and received for answer1 ',then1 ,i think you'd better go out of the room4' ,i do not believe he ever spoke an angry word to any of his children in his life2 but ,i am certain that it never entered our heads to disobey him4444 ,how often1 when a man1 ,i have wished1 when my father was behind my chair1 that he would pass his hand over my hair1 as he used to do when ,i was a boy4 ,he allowed his grown-up children to laugh with and at him1 and was1 generally speaking1 on terms of perfect equality with us4 ,he was very fond of flowers1 and also of dogs4 ,when he had been absent from home1 on his return his white fox-terrier1 ,polly1 would get wild with excitement1 panting1 squeaking1 rushing round the room1 and jumping on and off the chairs2 and he used to stoop down1 pressing her face to his1 letting her lick him1 and speaking to her with a peculiarly tender1 caressing voice4 ,he was very tender-hearted4 ,a friend who often visited at ,down told me that ,mrs4 ,darwin one day urged her husband to punish the little dog for some wrong-doing4 ,he took the animal tenderly in his arms and carried her out-of-doors1 patting her gently on the head4 ,why1 ,charles1 remonstrated the wife1 she did not feel it4 ,he replied1 ,i could do no more4 ,the remembrance of screams or other sounds heard in ,brazil1 says ,francis ,darwin1 when he was powerless to interfere with what he believed to be the torture of a slave1 haunted him for years1 especially at night4 ,in smaller matters1 when he could interfere1 he did so vigorously4 ,he returned one day from his walk pale and faint from having seen a horse ill-used1 and from the agitation of violently remonstrating with the man4 ,on another occasion he saw a horse-breaker teaching his son to ride4 ,the little boy was frightened1 and the man was rough4 ,my father stopped1 and1 jumping out of the carriage1 reproved the man in no measured terms4444 ,a visitor1 driving from ,orpington to ,down1 told the man to go faster4 ',why1' said the driver1 'if ,i had whipped the horse this much driving ,mr4 ,darwin1 he would have got out of the carriage and abused me well4' ,his manner was bright and animated1 and his face glowed in conversation4 ,he enjoyed fun1 had a merry1 ringing laugh1 and a happy way of turning things4 ,he said once1 ,gray 7,asa ,gray of ,harvard ,college7 often takes me to task for making hasty generalizations2 but the last time he was here talking that way1 ,i said to him1 ',now1 ,gray1 ,i have one more generalization to make1 which is not hasty2 and that is1 the ,americans are the most delightful people ,i know4' ,he was particularly charming when 'chaffing' any one1 says his son1 and in high spirits over it4 ,his manner at such times was light-hearted and boyish1 and his refinement of nature came out most strongly4 ,so1 when he was talking to a lady who pleased and amused him1 the combination of raillery and deference in his manner was delightful to see4 ,when my father had several guests1 he managed them well1 getting a talk with each1 or bringing two or three together round his chair4444 ,my father much enjoyed wandering slowly in the garden with my mother or some of his children1 or making one of a party sitting out on a bench on the lawn2 he generally sat1 however1 on the grass1 and ,i remember him often lying under one of the big lime-trees1 with his head on the green mound at its foot4 ,he had great perseverance in his work1 and used often to say1 ,it's dogged as does it2 and ,saving the minutes is the way to get work done4 ,it was his habit to rise early in the morning1 and after breakfast work from eight to half-past nine1 and then read his letters4 ,at ten or half-past1 he went back to his work till twelve4 ,after exercise in the ,sandwalk1 a narrow strip of land1 one and a half acres in extent1 with a gravel walk round it1 planted with a variety of trees1 in which he watched the birds and squirrels1 he lunched and read his newspaper4 ,after this he wrote letters1 and about three o'clock rested for a time on the sofa1 some of his family reading to him1 often a novel1--the work of ,walter ,scott1 ,george ,eliot1 ,miss ,austen1 or others4 ,at four he walked again1 worked from half-past four till half-past five1 dined1 and usually spent his evenings1 after a game of backgammon with his wife1 or hearing her play on the piano1 in reading scientific books4 ,conversation in the evening usually spoiled his rest for the night1 but he could do a great amount of work if he kept to his regular routine4 ,in each book1 as he read it1 he marked passages bearing on his work4 ,in reading a book or pamphlet1 he made pencil lines at the side of the page1 often adding short remarks1 and at the end made a list of the pages marked4 ,darwin said of himself3 ,at no time am ,i a quick thinker or writer2 whatever ,i have done in science has solely been by long pondering1 patience1 and industry4444 ,i think that ,i am superior to the common run of men in noticing things which easily escape attention1 and in observing them carefully4 ,my industry has been nearly as great as it could have been in the observation and collection of facts4 ,what is far more important1 my love of natural science has been steady and ardent4 ,this pure love has1 however1 been much aided by the ambition to be esteemed by my fellow-naturalists4 ,from my early youth ,i have had the strongest desire to understand or explain whatever ,i observed2 that is1 to group all facts under some general laws4444 ,my habits are methodical1 and this has been of not a little use for my particular line of work4 ,lastly1 ,i have had ample leisure from not having to earn my own bread4 ,even ill-health1 though it has annihilated several years of my life1 has saved me from the distractions of society and amusement4 ,mr4 ,darwin was never egotistical1 or elated by his great success4 ,he always felt and spoke modestly of his work4 ,in the village people of ,down he took a cordial interest1 helping to found a ,friendly ,club1 which he served as treasurer for thirty years4 ,he also acted for some years as a county magistrate4 ,the ,vicar of ,down1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,brodie ,innes1 and ,mr4 ,darwin were firm friends for thirty years1 yet1 says ,darwin1 we never thoroughly agreed on any subject but once1 and then we stared hard at each other1 and thought one of us must be very ill4 ,in the hall of the great ,natural ,history ,museum in ,london1 a statue of ,darwin was placed ,june #i1 #ahhe1 with appropriate addresses4 ,darwin's life is a most interesting study4 ,that a boy who seemed in youth to have no special fondness for books1 but an especial delight in collecting beetles2 who appeared unfitted either for medicine or the church1 should come to such a renowned manhood1 is remarkable4 ,his perseverance1 his industry1 his thought1 his gentleness1 his sunny nature in the midst of suffering1 are delightful to contemplate4 ,his books will be an enduring monument4 ,he combined a great intellect and a great heart1 which makes the most attractive nature1 in either man or woman4 ,,francis ,,trevelyan ,,buckland4 ,most of those whose lives are sketched in this volume lived to be old men2 but ,frank ,buckland1 the pet and pride of thousands in ,england1 died in his prime1 almost at the beginning of his fame2 a man of whose life our ,popular ,science ,monthly says1 ,none more active1 varied1 and useful is recorded in scientific biography4 ,he was the oldest son of the ,dean of ,westminster1 ,dr4 ,william ,buckland1 and was born ,december #ag1 #ahbf1 at ,christ ,church1 ,oxford1 of which cathedral his father was canon at that time4 ,illustration3 ,,francis ,,trevelyan ,,buckland4 ,i was told1 says ,frank1 in later years1 that1 soon after my birth1 my father and my godfather1 the late ,sir ,francis ,chantry1 weighed me in the kitchen scales against a leg of mutton1 and that ,i was heavier than the joint provided for the family dinner that day4 ,in honor of my arrival1 my father and ,sir ,francis went into the garden and planted a birch tree4 ,i know the taste of the twigs of that birch tree well4 ,sir ,francis ,chantry offered to give me a library4 ',what is the use of a library to a child an hour old8' said my father4 ',he will live to be sorry for that answer1' said ,sir ,francis4 ,i never got the library4 ,one of my earliest offences in life was eating the end of a carriage candle4 ,for this1 the birch rod not being handy1 my father put me into a furze bush1 and therein ,i did penance for ten minutes4 ,a furze bush does not make a pleasant lounge when only very thin summer garments are worn4 ,the father1 ,dean ,buckland1 was distinguished as a man of letters1 and for his geological research4 ,the mother1 as is often the case with sons of genius1 was a remarkable woman1 who idolized her boy1 and who received in return an affection unusual in its intimacy and confidence4 ,she began to write about him early1 in her journal4 ,at two and a half years of age1 she says1 he never forgets either pictures or people he has seen4 ,four months ago1 as well as now1 he would have gone through all the natural history books in the ,radcliffe ,library1 without making one error in miscalling a parrot1 a duck1 a kingfisher1 an owl1 or a vulture4 ,on taking him to see the camelopard and kangaroos in ,windsor ,park1 she says1 ,he ran about with the latter and the other live animals without the least fear1 though he got thrown down by them4 ,he is a robust1 sturdy child1 sharp as a needle1 but so volatile that ,i foresee some trouble in making him fix his attention4 ,when three and a half1 she says1 he certainly is not at all premature2 his great excellence is in his disposition1 and apparently very strong reasoning powers1 and a most tenacious memory as to facts4 ,he is always asking questions1 and never forgets the answers he receives1 if they are such as he can comprehend4 ,if there is anything he cannot understand1 or any word1 he won't go on till it has been explained to him4 ,he is always wanting to see everything made1 or to know how it is done2 there is no end to his questions1 and he is never happy unless he sees the relations between cause and effect4 ,at four he began collecting specimens of natural history4 ,at this time a clergyman brought some fossils to ,dr4 ,buckland4 ,calling his son1 who was playing in the room1 the ,dean said1 ,frankie1 what are these8 ,they are the vertebrae of an ichthyosaurus1 lisped the child1 unable to speak plainly4 ,mrs4 ,buckland gave her boy a small cabinet1 which now bears this inscription3 ,this is the first cabinet ,i ever had2 my mother gave it to me when about four years old1 ,december1 #ahcj4 ,it is the nucleus of all my natural-history work4 ,please take care of the poor old thing4 ,in his early home at ,christ ,church1 says ,frank ,buckland's brother-in-law1 ,george ,c4 ,bompas1 in his interesting life of the naturalist1 besides the stuffed creatures1 which shared the hall with the rocking-horse1 there were cages full of snakes1 and of green frogs1 in the dining-room1 where the sideboard groaned under successive layers of fossils1 and the candles stood on ichthyosauri's vertebrae4 ,guinea-pigs were often running over the table1 and1 occasionally1 the pony1 having trotted down the steps from the garden1 would push open the dining-room door1 and career round the table1 with three laughing children on his back2 and then1 marching through the front door1 and down the steps1 would continue his course round ,tom ,quad4 ,in the stable yard and large wood-house were the fox1 rabbits1 guinea-pigs1 and ferrets1 hawks and owls1 the magpie and jackdaw1 besides dogs1 cats1 and poultry1 and in the garden was the tortoise 7on whose back the children would stand to try its strength71 and toads immured in various pots1 to test the truth of their supposed life in rock cells4 ,the boy ,frank naturally developed a taste for natural history in the midst of such surroundings4 ,at nine years of age1 he was sent to school at ,cotterstock1 in ,northamptonshire1 and at twelve was elected scholar of ,winchester ,college4 ,he tells an interesting experience on his entrance4 ,immediately after chapel1 the old stager boys all came round the new arrivals1 to examine and criticise them4 ,i perfectly recollect one boy1 ,h41 to whose special care my poor confiding mother had entrusted her innocent1 unsuspecting cub1 coming up to me with a most solemn face1 and asking me if ,i had brought with me a copy of the school-book1 ',pempe moron proteron4' ,i said ,i had not4 ',then1' said he1 'you must borrow one at once1 or the doctor1' i4 e4 ,dr4 ,moberly1 the head master1 'will be sure to flog you to-morrow morning1 and your college tutor1 one of the praefects1 will also lick you4' ,so he sent me to another boy1 who said he had lent his ',pempe moron proteron1' but he passed me on to a third1 he on to a fourth2 so ,i was running about all over the college till quite late1 in a most terrible panic of mind1 till at last a good-natured praefect said1 ',construe it1 you little fool4' ,i had never thought of this before4 ,i saw it directly3 ,pempe 7send7 moron 7a fool7 proteron 7further74 ,so the title of this wonderful book1 after all1 was1 ',send a fool further4' ,i then went to complain to ,h42 he only laughed1 and shied a ,donnegan's ,lexicon at my head4 ,a few nights afterwards1 says ,frank1 ,i dreamt ,i was wandering on the seashore1 and that a crab was pinching my foot4 ,instantly awakening1 ,i experienced a most frightful pain in my great toe4 ,i bore it for a while1 until at last it became so intense that ,i had to jump up with a howl of agony2 all was quiet1 but the pull continued1 and ,i had to follow my toe and outstretched leg out of bed4 ,i then found a bit of netted whipcord tight round it2 but the whipcord was so ingeniously twisted among the beds1 that it was impossible to find out who had pulled it4 ,i returned to bed as savage as a wounded animal4 ,the moment ,i was settled1 the boys all burst into a shout3 ',toe fit tied6 ,by ,jove1 what a lark6' ,this barbarous process is called 'toe fit tie' because there is a line in ,prosody which begins1 ',to fit ti1 ut verto verti4' ,hence the origin of this ,winchester custom4 ,a school friend says of ,frank at this time3 ,imagine a short1 quick-eyed little boy1 with a shock head of reddish brown hair 7not much amenable to a hair-brush71 a white neck-cloth tied like a piece of rope with no particular bow1 and his bands sticking out under either ear as fancy pleased him1--in fact1 a boy utterly indifferent to personal appearance1 but good-tempered and eccentric1 with a small museum in his sleeve or cupboard1 sometimes a snake1 or a pet mouse1 or a guinea-pig1 or even a hedge-hog4 ,in the summer he would be always in the hedgerows1 after birds1 weasels1 or mice1 or in the water-meadows1 after crayfish1 tomculls1 and other fish which hide under stones4444 ,in fact1 he was a born naturalist4 ,another says3 ,frank set up a sort of amateur dispensary or hospital4 ,he had a patient or two4 ,one man ,i remember1 with a bad hand1 who used to come down to ,college ,gate at twelve o'clock to consult him and be experimented upon4 ,in his toys 7cupboard7 he had various bottles and specimens1 one very highly treasured possession being a three-legged chicken4 ,his own natural disposition was of the sweetest and gentlest4 ,i never saw him in a passion1 though he used to get a good deal teased at one time for his untidiness4 ,but he always had a bright smile amidst it all1 and was ready to do anything for anybody immediately after4 ,one thing used to strike me very much about him1 and that was his exceeding love for his mother4 ,boys are generally reticent upon this point1 but ,frank seemed never tired of telling me about his1 and how much he owed her4444 ,in school hours he was a painstaking and conscientious worker1 never leaving his lessons or preparing his task quicker or better than when he had some pet1 a dormouse or sometimes a snake1 twisting and wriggling inside his college waistcoat1 which1 having found its way out at his boots1 would be carefully replaced under the waistcoat1 to go through the same journey again4 ,while at ,winchester1 ,frank determined to become a surgeon1 and chose as a parting gift from one of his tutors1 instead of ,goldsmith's poems1 ,graham's ,domestic ,medicine4 ,at his request1 his parents sent him a lancet1 with which he bled his college mates1 if they were courageous enough to submit to the operation1 offering each one sixpence as an inducement4 ,nevertheless1 when1 in vacation1 he witnessed an amputation at the ,infirmary1 he fainted4 ,when ,frank left ,winchester1 ,bishop ,moberly said1 ,i always had the utmost satisfaction in him as a school-boy2 and ,i look back with very great regard to his simple1 earnest character1 and his devotion to the studies which have made him so well known4 ,to me he was just what ,i always found him1 full of curious information1 excellently kind-tempered and affectionate4 ,in #ahdd1 at the age of eighteen1 ,frank entered ,christ ,church1 ,oxford4 ,here he turned the court between his college rooms and the canon's gardens into a menagerie4 ,he owned a young bear1 ,tiglath ,pileser1 ,jacko the monkey1 an eagle1 a jackal1 besides marmots1 guinea-pigs1 squirrels1 and dormice1 an adder and other snakes1 tortoises1 green frogs and a chameleon4 ,skeletons and stuffed specimens were numerous4 ,many of these pets strayed away4 ,the marmot got into the chapter-house1 and the eagle stationed himself in the chapel doorway1 and attacked those who wished to enter4 ,dr4 ,liddon tells of being invited to ,frank's rooms1 to breakfast with him4 ,the marmots1 which had hibernated in the cellar below1 had just1 as he expressed it1 'thawed4' ,there was great excitement2 the creatures ran about the table1 as entitled to the honors of the day2 though there were other beasts and reptiles in the room too1 which in later life would have made breakfasting difficult4 ,speaking of reptiles1 one very early incident in my ,oxford life was joining in a hunt of ,frank's adder4 ,it had escaped into ,mr4 ,benson's rooms1 and was pursued into the bedroom by a group of undergraduates1 who had1 however1 different objects in view4 ,frank certainly had the well-being of the adder chiefly at heart1 the rest of us1 ,i fear1 were governed by the lower motive of escaping being bitten anyhow--if consistently with the adder's safely1 well--if not1 still of escaping4 ,eventually1 the adder was caught1 ,i believe1 without great damage4 ,one day ,i met ,frank just outside ,tom ,gate4 ,his trousers pockets were swollen out to an enormous size2 they were full of slow-worms in damp moss4 ,frank explained to me that this combination of warmth and moisture was good for the slow-worms1 and that they enjoyed it4 ,they certainly were very lively1 poking their heads out incessantly1 while he repressed them with the palms of his hands4444 ,he was certainly one of the most popular men in ,christ ,church2 when he was in the schools1 to be examined viva voce1 almost the whole undergraduate world of ,christ ,church was there4444 ,he always struck me1 in respect of the most serious matters1 as combining strength and simplicity very remarkably2 it was impossible to talk to him and not to be sure that ,god1 life1 death1 and judgment were to him solid and constantly present realities4 ,another college friend says3 ,one evening when ,i was devoting an hour to coaching him up for his 'little go1' ,i took care to tuck up my legs1 in ,turkish fashion1 on the sofa1 for fear of a casual bite from the jackal which was wandering about the room4 ,after a time ,i heard the animal munching up something under the sofa1 and was relieved that he should have found something to occupy him4 ,when our work was finished1 ,i told ,buckland that the jackal had found something to eat under the sofa4 ',my poor guinea-pigs6' he exclaimed2 and1 sure enough1 four or five of them had fallen victims4 ,tiglath ,pileser1 the bear1 had to be sent away from ,christ ,church4 ,the dean said1 ,i hear you keep a bear in college2 well1 either you or your bear must go4 ,so ,tig was sent to ,islip1 seven miles from ,oxford1 a living held by ,dean ,buckland1 who had now become ,dean of ,westminster4 ,the bear did so much mischief at ,islip1 in grocer's shops and houses1 that he was sent to the zooelogical gardens1 where he died in cutting his teeth4 ,jacko1 the monkey1 was a source of great amusement1 and greatly prized by young ,buckland4 ,once1 when carrying him on a railway train1 in a lawyer's blue bag1 says ,mr4 ,buckland1 in his ,curiosities of ,natural ,history1 published some years afterwards1 ,jacko1 who must needs see everything that was going on1 suddenly poked his head out of the bag1 and gave a malicious grin at the ticket-giver4 ,this much frightened the poor man1 but1 with great presence of mind1 quite astonishing under the circumstances1 he retaliated the insult1 ',sir1 that's a dog2 you must pay for it accordingly4' ,in vain was the monkey made to come out of the bag and exhibit his whole person2 in vain were arguments in full accordance with the views of ,cuvier and ,owen urged eagerly1 vehemently1 and without hesitation 7for the train was on the point of starting71 to prove that the animal in question was not a dog1 but a monkey4 ,a dog it was in the peculiar views of the official1 and three-and-sixpence was paid4 ,thinking to carry the joke further 7there were just a few minutes to spare71 ,i took out from my pocket a live tortoise ,i happened to have with me1 and1 showing it1 said1 ',what must ,i pay for this1 as you charge for all animals8' ,the employe adjusted his specs1 withdrew from the desk to consult with his superior2 then returning1 gave the verdict with a grave but determined manner1 ',no charge for them1 sir2 them be insects4' ,whenever ,jacko got loose1 he found mischief4 ,one day he covered a shoe1 sole and all1 with blacking1 and poured what was left in the bottle inside the shoe4 ,he also rubbed the white kitchen table all over with black-lead and water4 ,young ,buckland spent his vacations at the ,university of ,giessen1 under the famous teacher and chemist1 ,professor ,liebig1 to whom he became greatly attached4 ,returning in ,october1 #ahde1 ,i brought with me1 he says1 about a dozen green tree-frogs1 which ,i had caught in the woods near the town4444 ,i started at night on my homeward journey by the diligence1 and ,i put the bottle containing the frogs into the pocket inside the diligence4 ,my fellow-passengers were sleepy old smoke-dried ,germans4 ,very little conversation took place1 and1 after the first mile1 every one settled himself to sleep1 and soon all were snoring4 ,i suddenly awoke with a start1 and found all the sleepers had been roused at the same moment4 ,on their sleepy faces were depicted fear and anger4 ,what had woke us all up so suddenly8 ,the morning was just breaking1 and my frogs1 though in the dark pocket of the coach1 had found it out1 and1 with one accord1 all twelve of them had begun their morning song4 ,as if at a given signal1 they one and all of them began to croak as hard as ever they could4 ,the noise their united concert made seemed1 in the closed compartment of the coach1 quite deafening3 well might the ,germans look angry2 they wanted to throw the frogs1 bottle and all1 out of the window1 but ,i gave the bottle a good shaking1 and made the frogs keep quiet4 ,the ,germans all went to sleep again1 but ,i was obliged to remain awake1 to shake the frogs when they began to croak4 ,it was lucky that ,i did so1 for they tried to begin their concert again two or three times4 ,these frogs came safely to ,oxford1 and1 the day after their arrival1 a stupid housemaid took off the top of the bottle1 to see what was inside2 one of the frogs croaked at that instant1 and so frightened her that she dared not put the cover on again4 ,they all got loose in the garden1 when1 ,i believe1 the ducks ate them1 for ,i never heard or saw them again4 ,the next autumn1 after a short tour in ,switzerland1 he returned to ,oxford1 this time bringing a jar full of red slugs4 ,they at least were noiseless and would not croak like frogs4 ,in the opposite corner of the diligence placidly slumbered a traveller with ample bald head2 ,frank also slept1 but1 waking at midnight1 he saw1 with horror1 that two of his red slugs had escaped and were crawling over the traveller's bald pate4 ,what was to be done8 ,to remove them might waken the sleeper4 ,frank sat1 as it were1 on tenter-hooks1 until the diligence stopped at the next stage1 when1 firmly covering up the jar and what remained of the slugs1 he slipped quietly out of the diligence1 resolved to proceed on his journey by another conveyance next morning1 rather than face that man's awakening4 ,young ,buckland took his degree in #ahdh1 and entered ,st4 ,george's ,hospital4 ,my object1 he said1 in studying medicine 7and may ,god prosper it67 is not to gain a name1 money1 and high practice1 but to do good to my fellow-creatures and assist them in the hour of need4444 ,my object in life to be a great high-priest of nature1 and a great benefactor of mankind4 ,wealthy1 and of the highest social position1 he had determined not to live for himself1 but for the good of others4 ,he was now twenty-two2 genial1 full of kindness1 democratic in his feelings1 one of nature's noblemen4 ,at his father's house1 the ,deanery1 he met ,lyell1 ,davy1 ,faraday1 ,sir ,john ,herschel1 ,guizot1 ,liebig1 ,agassiz1 ,ruskin1 ,rogers1 ,lord ,brougham1 ,sir ,robert ,peel1 ,lord ,john ,russell1 ,lady ,franklin1 ,lady ,shelley1 and scores of other distinguished persons4 ,here his menagerie was larger than ever4 ,the stuffed forms of ,tiglath ,pileser and ,billy the hyaena were in the hall4 ,jenny1 a monkey from ,gibraltar1 had come to join ,jacko1 bringing a pet chicken with her1 which lived in her cage1 and which she fondled as a nurse does a child4 ,here were tailless ,manx cats1 lizards1 snakes1 and fifty or sixty rats1 usually kept in the cellar4 ,young ,buckland would often take snakes out of his pockets to show his friends4 ,don't be afraid1 he said to a young lady at a party1 as he showed her some snakes2 they won't hurt you1 ,i've taken out their fangs4 ,now1 do be a good girl1 and don't make a fuss2 and he wreathed one snake around her neck1 and one round each arm4 ,his sisters were so often bedecked with similar reptilian necklaces and armlets that they became used to the somewhat clammy1 crawling sensation which is a drawback to such ornaments4 ,about this time1 ,buckland wrote an article on the muscles of the arm1 and took it to several periodicals1 but none would accept it4 ,urged by ,mr4 ,white ,cooper1 the queen's oculist1 he wrote an article upon his rats1 which the friend carried to ,bentley's ,miscellany4 ,it was accepted1 and thus began his successful authorship4 ,this was subsequently published in his first book1 ,curiosities of ,natural ,history1 in #aheg4 ,he tells of one of his rat families3 ,one day a poor mother had moved her young about into several parts of the cage1 but could not fix on one point4 ,i saw what was wanting1 she could not obtain cover for them4 ,i put my hand into the cage1 full of tow and cotton wool2 she came instantly and took it out of my hand1 and covered up her young4 ,but1 notwithstanding all this care1 and although evidently most anxious for their welfare1 this kind mother1 obeying1 ,i suppose1 some wise law of nature1 devoured during the following night every one of the little ones of which she had been so careful the preceding day4 ,after being house-surgeon at ,st4 ,george's ,hospital for some time1 ,buckland became assistant surgeon to the ,second ,life ,guards in #ahed4 ,he had already given his first lecture1 ,the ,house ,we ,live in1 delivered at a ,working ,men's ,coffee ,house and ,institute established by his mother1 in ,westminster1 ,london4 ,about this time he was nearly fatally poisoned by a cobra4 ,he says1 ,i had not walked a hundred yards before1 all of a sudden1 ,i felt just as if somebody had come behind me and struck me a severe blow on the head and neck1 and at the same time ,i experienced a most acute pain and sense of oppression at the chest1 as though a hot iron had been run in and a hundred-weight put on the top of it4 ,i knew instantly1 from what ,i had read1 that ,i was poisoned4 ,i said as much to my friend1 a most intelligent gentleman1 who happened to be with me1 and told him1 if ,i fell1 to give me brandy and eau-de-luce1 words which he kept repeating in case he might forget them4 ,at the same time ,i enjoined him to keep me going1 and not on any account to allow me to lie down4 ,i then forgot everything for several minutes1 and my friend tells me ,i rolled about as if very faint and weak4 ,he also informs me that the first thing ,i did was to fall against him1 asking him if ,i looked seedy4 ,he most wisely answered1 ',no1 you look very well4' ,i don't think he thought so1 for his own face was as white as a ghost2 ,i recollect this much4 ,he tells me my face was of a greenish yellow color4 ,after walking1 or rather staggering1 along for some minutes1 ,i gradually recovered my senses1 and steered for the nearest chemist's shop4 ,rushing in1 ,i asked for eau-de-luce4 ,of course1 he had none1 but my eye caught the words1 'spiritus ammoniae1' or hartshorn1 on a bottle4 ,i reached it down myself1 and1 pouring a large quantity into a tumbler with a little water1 both of which articles ,i found on a soda-water stand in the shop1 drank it off1 though it burnt my mouth and lips very much4 ,instantly ,i felt relief from the pain at the chest and head4 ,the chemist stood aghast1 and1 on my telling him what was the matter1 recommended a warm bath4 ,if ,i had then followed his advice1 these words would never have been placed on record4 ,after a second draught at the hartshorn bottle1 ,i proceeded on my way1 feeling very stupid and confused4 ,in ,august1 #ahef1 ,dean ,buckland died1 and in ,november1 #aheg1 ,mrs4 ,buckland4 ,on ,december #ag1 her son wrote in his journal3 ,thirty-one years ago1 at #f ,a4 ,m41 ,i came into the world1 at the old house in ,christ ,church1 ,quadrangle4 ,i am now about half-way across the stage of life1 and thank ,god ,i am just beginning to feel my feet4 ,but1 oh6 what ,i have lost since last birthday1 the best friend a man can have in the world1--his mother4 ,he did not know that he was very much more than half-way across the stage of life already4 ,it is well that we walk by faith rather than sight4 ,oh6 blissful1 peaceful ignorance1 ',tis blessed not to know2 ,it keeps me quiet in those ,arms ,which will not let me go1 ,and hushes all my soul to rest ,on the ,bosom which loves me so4 ,so ,i go on1 not knowing-- ,i would not if ,i might-- ,i'd rather walk with ,god in the dark ,than walk alone in the light2 ,i'd rather walk with him by faith ,than walk alone by sight4 ,in #ahei1 after a laborious search of some weeks in the vaults of ,st4 ,martin's in the ,fields1 ,buckland found the body of ,john ,hunter1 the father of modern physiology1 and the coffin was reinterred in ,westminster ,abbey4 ,though a most disagreeable task1 he said1 ,i must not shrink from doing a thing at first sight disagreeable1 or nothing will ever be accomplished4 ,nothing like determination and perseverance4 ,the ,leeds ,school of ,medicine presented him a silver medal1 as a mark of respect for his exertions4 ,in #ahfj1 he helped to organize the ,acclimatization ,society1 formed for the purpose of varying and increasing the food supply of ,great ,britain by introducing new animals and preserving the native fish4 ,he also became voluntary consulting surgeon at the ,zooelogical ,gardens1 doctoring the sick1 and increasing by his example the tenderness shown to animals4 ,his life had now become a most active one4 ,he wrote many valuable articles for the magazines1 since issued in books1 the ,log ,book of a ,fisherman and ,zooelogist1 and other volumes1 and lectured frequently1 to large audiences1 on his favorite subjects4 ,in #ahfc1 after eight years of service in the ,life ,guards1 he resigned1 and began to devote himself more than ever to fish culture4 ,in ,january and ,february of each year he collected the eggs of trout and other fish from the ,rhine1 ,switzerland1 ,france1 and elsewhere1 distributing some throughout the country and artificially hatching others4 ,fish-hatching boxes were exhibited in the ,south ,kensington ,museum1 and at the ,crystal ,palace4 ,trout ova in ice were sent to ,australia1 where1 after incubation had been suspended for a hundred days1 when placed in running water1 the fish came into the world strong and healthy4 ,in #ahfd1 ,buckland made extended investigations in oyster culture2 delivered lectures upon the subject before the ,british ,association of ,bath1 the ,society of ,arts1 the ,london ,institution1 indeed all through ,england and ,ireland4 ,he was appointed ,scientific ,referee to the ,south ,kensington ,museum1 giving a course of lectures and of class demonstration4 ,he sent about sixteen thousand young fish and eggs to the ,horticultural ,gardens1 and with these he helped to illustrate his lectures and inform the public4 ,through ,land and ,water1 a paper established by himself and a few friends1 he reached and educated a large constituency4 ,in #ahfc1 the year previous1 he had married ,miss ,hannah ,papes1 and made his home at #cg ,albany ,st41 ,regent's ,park4 ,here he gathered all his pets1 who found in ,mrs4 ,buckland a person as kind and tender as their master4 ,here were brought his favorite monkeys1 ,hag and ,tiny4 ,the latter came from the ,zooelogical ,gardens as good as dead1 but1 through ,mrs4 ,buckland's good nursing1 she became well and strong4 ,with these pets1 the overworked naturalist had great merriment4 ,he says in his ,log ,book3 ,when the fire is lighted in the morning1 in my museum1 the servants put the monkeys in their night cage before it1 and directly ,i come down to breakfast ,i let them out4 ,they are only allowed to be loose in my museum as they do so much mischief2 and in my museum ,i alone am responsible for the damage they do4 ,the moment the door of the cage is opened1 they both rush out like rockets1 and the ,hag goes immediately to the fender and warms herself like a good monkey2 as she1 being older1 seems to know that if she misbehaves herself she will have to be put back into her cage4444 ,tiny steals whatever is on the table1 and it is great fun to see her snatch off the red herring from the plate and run off with it to the top of the book-shelves4 ,while ,i am getting my herring1 ,tiny goes to the breakfast table again1 and1 if she can1 steals the egg2 this she tucks under her arm1 and bolts away1 running on her hind legs4 ,this young lady has of late been rather shy of eggs1 as she once stole one that was quite hot1 and burnt herself4444 ,having poured out the tea1 ,i open the ',times' newspaper quite wide1 to take a general survey of its contents4 ,if ,i do not watch her carefully1 ,tiny goes behind the chair1 on to the book-shelf1 and comes crash into the middle of the ',times4' ,of course1 she cannot go through the ',times'2 but she takes her chance of a fall somewhere1 and her great aim seems1 to perform the double feat of knocking the ',times' out of my hand and upsetting the tea-pot and its contents2 or1 better still1 the tea-pot on the floor4 ,lately1 ,i am glad to say1 she did not calculate her fall quite right2 for she put her foot into the hot tea and stung herself smartly1 and this seems to have had the effect of making her more careful for the future4 ,all the day of this misfortune she walked upon her heels1 and not upon her toes as usual4 ,the ,hag will also steal1 but in a more quiet manner4 ,she is especially fond of sardines in oil1 and ,i generally let her steal them1 because the oil does her good1 though the servants complain of the marks of her oily feet upon the cloth4 ,sometimes the two make up a stealing party4 ,one morning ,i was in a particular hurry1 having to go away on salmon-inspection duty by train4 ,i left the breakfast things for a moment1 and in an instant ,tiny snatched up a broiled leg of pheasant and bolted with it--carried it under her arm round and round the room1 after the fashion of the clown in the pantomime4 ,while ,i was hunting ,tiny for my pheasant1 the ,hag bolted with the toast2 ,i could not find time to catch either of the thieves1 and so had to go off without any breakfast4 ,tiny and the ,hag sometimes go out stealing together4 ,they climb up my coat and search all the pockets4 ,i generally carry a great many cedar pencils2 the monkeys take these out and bite off the cut ends4444 ,when ,i come home in the evening1 tired from a long day's work1 ,i let out the monkeys1 and give them some sweet stuff ,i bring home for them4 ,by their affectionate greeting and amusing tricks they make me forget for a while the anxieties and bothers of a very active life4 ,they know perfectly well when ,i am busy1 and they remain quiet and do not tease me4 ,the ,hag sits on the top of my head1 and 'looks fleas' in my hair1 while ,tiny tears up with her teeth a thick ball of crumpled paper1 the nucleus of which she knows is a sugar-plum1 one of a parcel sent by ,mrs4 ,owen1 the kind-hearted wife of my friend1 ,mostyn ,owen1 of the ,dee ,salmon ,board1 and received through the post in due form1 directed1 ',miss ,tiny and ,miss ,jenny ,buckland4' ,besides these monkeys1 a writer tells of another pet which he found when calling on ,mr4 ,buckland4 ',it's a jolly little brute1 and won't hurt1' exclaimed ,mr4 ,buckland1 as we were about to retreat from the threshold4 ,the monkeys had seized the jaguar's tail1 and1 lifting it up with its hind legs bodily to the altitude of their cage1 were rapidly denuding it of fur4 ,no animal with any feelings of self-respect would submit silently to such humiliation1 and the jaguar was making the place hideous with his yells4 ,hearing the cries of her pet1 ,mrs4 ,buckland came to the rescue2 and it was amusing to see this child of the forest1 with gleaming eyes and frantic yelps1 cast itself at her feet1 and nestle meekly in the folds of her dress2 she had nursed it through a very trying babyhood1 when ,mr4 ,bartlett had sent it from the ,zoo1 apparently dying and paralyzed in the fore-legs1 with a promise of fifteen pounds reward for a cure4 ,that sum has long since been swallowed up in damages for clothes destroyed and boots devoured1 as the invalid's health and appetite returned4 ,mr4 ,buckland used to say3 ,mrs4 ,buckland can tame any animal in the world--ecce signum1 myself4 ,in #ahfg1 ,mr4 ,buckland was appointed ,inspector of ,fisheries4 ,this was the realization of the wish of his life4 ,he says in his diary1 after receiving the appointment3 ,when ,i read this ,i felt a most peculiar feeling2 not joy1 nor grief1 but a pleasurable1 stunning sensation1 if there can be such a thing4 ,the first thing ,i did was to utter a prayer of thanksgiving to ,him who really appointed me1 and who has thus placed me in a position to look after and care for ,his wonderful works4 ,may ,he give me strength to do my duty in my new calling6 ,buckland carried forward his work with the greatest zeal and energy4 ,he writes in his journal3 ,i am now working from #h ,a4 ,m4 to #f ,p4 ,m41 then a bit in the evening1--fourteen hours a day2 but1 thank ,god1 it does not hurt me4 ,i should1 however1 collapse if it were not for ,sunday4 ,the machinery has time to get cool4 ,the mill-wheel ceases to patter the water1 the mill-head is ponded up1 and the superfluous water let off by an easy1 quiet current1 which leads to things above4 ,salmon1 which had formerly abounded in ,wales and ,england1 and been used extensively for food1 had almost or altogether ceased to exist in many rivers4 ,buckland carefully studied their habits4 ,he put himself1 as he often said1 in the place of the salmon4 ,he waded the pools1 to feel the force and direction of the current against which they come up from the sea into the rivers4 ,he did not spare himself in storm or cold4 ,most fish live either in fresh or in salt water2 the salmon inhabits both4 ,bred in the higher waters of our rivers1 the young salmon of one1 two1 or three years' growth make their way down to the sea as smolts1 and return thence1 impelled by the instinct of reproduction1 to seek the gravelly spawning beds in the mountain streams4 ,in early spring and through the summer and autumn months they come from the sea1 bright-coated and silvery1 and swim and leap and struggle up the rivers4 ,then is the fisherman's harvest4 ,in winter the spawning time comes on1 when the laws of nature and of man alike forbid their capture2 for the fish1 at other times so rich a luxury1 are now vapid and unwholesome4 ,lean and flabby1 the males with hooked beaks and scarred in fighting1 the spawned fish1 or kelts1 rush down again to the sea2 whence1 after a while1 they return1 fresh and silvery1 fattened to twice their former weight1 and reenter the rivers as fresh-river fish1 the joy alike of the fisherman and the epicure4 ,buckland constructed salmon ladders over the weirs1 that the fish might have free passage from the rivers to the sea4 ,he sent a series of models of these ladders to the ,american ,fishery ,commissioners1 with five boxes of specimen oysters1 and a photograph of his museum1 with its casts and curiosities4 ,he helped to obtain proper legislation from ,parliament1 both as to fishes and sea-birds2 indeed all living things1 especially those aquatic1 had his sympathy and help4 ,the results of his work were soon apparent4 ,the yearly sales of ,english and ,welsh salmon in ,billingsgate market1 ,london1 before #ahfa1 averaged about eight tons only4 ,from #ahfg to #ahgf the average sale was eighty-eight tons4 ,the sales of ,irish salmon in ,billingsgate1 three hundred and fifty tons yearly2 of ,scotch salmon1 over one thousand tons yearly4 ,thus was food provided for millions of people4 ,everywhere ,buckland was the friend of animals4 ,he urged that pigs should have pure1 clean1 wholesome water to drink4 ,he assisted at the opening of the ,brighton ,aquarium1 a place which ,american visitors can never forget1 and aided in the establishing of other aquaria4 ,in #ahgc1 ,mr4 ,buckland published a ,history of ,british ,fishes4 ,all his books went through many editions4 ,in #ahgd1 at the ,jubilee ,anniversary of the ,society for the ,prevention of ,cruelty to ,animals1 he spoke against cruelty to seals4 ,he wrote in the ,times3 ,captain ,david ,gray1 of the sealing and whaling ship ,eclipse1 and myself first brought forward1 some three years ago1 the necessity for a close time for ,arctic seals4 ,the principal sealing ground is at ,jan ,mayen ,island1 thirteen hundred miles due north from ,london4444 ,the ships 7sixty sail7 arrive at the ice from the #aeth to the #bjth ,march1 just as the young seals are born4 ,the seal-hunters at once attack them1 and the most horrible cruelty ensues4 ,i quote ,captain ,gray's own words to me3 ',last year1 the fleet set to work to kill the seals on ,march #bf1 #ahgd1 and in forty-eight hours the fishing was completely over1 the old seals being shot1 wounded1 or scared away1 while thousands upon thousands of young ones were left crying piteously for their mothers4 ,these mostly perished of famine in the snow1 as they were not old enough to make worth while the trouble of killing them4 ',if you could imagine yourself surrounded by four or five hundred thousand babies1 all crying at the pitch of their voices1 you would have some idea of the piteous noise they make4 ,their cry is very like that of a human infant4 ,these motherless seals collect into lots of five or six1 and crawl about the ice1 their heads fast becoming the biggest part of their bodies1 searching1 no doubt1 to find the nourishment they stand so much in need of4' ,in #ahgf1 an international close time was established1 prohibiting the killing of seals until after ,april #c4 ,mr4 ,buckland's reports on crab1 lobster1 herring1 and other fisheries were most full and interesting4 ,before the young crabs are born1 he said1 the mother crab tucks up under her tail her numerous family of from one to two million coral-like eggs1 and she sidles on tiptoe many a mile from her rocky home to some sandy flat in the deep sea1 where her young family may flourish best4 ,there1 or perhaps on returning home1 in early spring1 the time for all young things to come forth1 the tiny crabs burst the egg2 yet so unlike their parent1 that till lately they were thought some strange animalcula2 goggle eyes1 a hawk's beak1 a scorpion's tail1 a rhinoceros's horn1 adorn a body fringed with legs1 yet scarcely bigger than a grain of sand4 ,several strange shapes are assumed in turn ere the young crab attains the parent form4 ,for the parents of so numerous a family it is well that nature has provided the young crabs with a strong suit of clothes1 which does not wear out2 but it is quickly outgrown4 ,the young crabs shed from time to time the horny case1 even to the finger-nails and eyelids2 and mother ,nature straightway provides1 underneath1 a new1 soft1 leathery suit1 which quickly hardens into shell4 ,another marvel is1 that the growth is1 as it were1 by leaps and bounds2 each time it bursts its case the young crab swells suddenly to twice the size of the discarded shell4 ,in crab youth several new suits are annually required4 ,in maturer life the lady crab1 it seems1 is content with one new dress each year2 yet is not the romance of life over4 ,in the time of her soft-shelled weakness and seclusion1 a male crab in full armor constantly attends her1 guards her from danger1 and solaces her in her retirement4 ,an old crab's shell1 covered sometimes with barnacles1 or with oysters of several years' growth1 shows that the patriarch has outlived the change of fashions which occupied his youth4 ,the report on herring showed that eight hundred million fish are taken yearly in ,scotland1 by more than seven thousand boats4 ,the ,log-,book of a ,fisherman and ,zooelogist was published in #ahge1 and a new edition of ,white's ,natural ,history of ,selborne1 to which ,buckland added many original observations4 ,most of his writing was done on the cars1 on his way to different places to give lectures or attend to official business4 ,in #ahgh1 he was appointed one of the commissioners to inquire into the sea fisheries of ,england and ,wales1 which furnish so much food for the people4 ,over a hundred million soles are sold yearly in ,london alone1 besides fifty million plaice and whiting1 and ten million eels4 ,mr4 ,buckland's correspondence with many countries had become extensive4 ,he had been elected a member of various societies1 and had received many gold medals1 for his wide scientific knowledge and its practical application4 ,in ,december1 #ahgi1 he writes1 ,this ,christmas week1 ,i regret to say1 ,i shall not have the opportunity of spending my time up to my neck in water1 collecting salmon eggs for ,australia or ,new ,zealand1 from one or other of our northern rivers1 or in one of the southern rivers1 getting trout eggs for the ,thames4 ,i must say ,i very much enjoy collecting salmon and trout eggs2 it is very cold1 and1 at the same time1 very hard work1 but ,i very much prefer it to indoors and the fireside4 ,the exposure of this kind of work is seen by his description of it4 ,here is a list of my ',spawning kit4' ,first1 the waterproof dress2 this very useful garment is in fact a diver's dress1 and1 when properly put on1 admits not a drop of water4 ,it has1 however1 one fault1 it is apt to freeze when ,i am out of the water1 and then one feels encased1 as it were1 in a suit of inflexible armor4 ,second1 the spawning tins4444 ,third1 a long1 shallow basket4444 ,fourth1 house-flannel1 cut into lengths of one yard2 this is absolutely necessary to hold the struggling salmon4 ,those who are unaccustomed to spawn salmon have an awkward habit of putting their fingers into the gills of the fish1 and if the fish's gills are injured and bleed1 he suffers much from it4 ,i never to my knowledge killed a fish in my life while spawning it4 ,fifth1 dry towels2 these are most necessary1 as the slime from the salmon makes one's hands very slippery 444 besides which1 wiping the hands warms them1 and1 when working in the water at this time of year1 the cold to the hands and arms is fearful4444 ,eleventh1 ordinary baggage1 and especially a bottle of scented hair-oil1 with which to well anoint the chest and arms and tips of ears1 when working in the water2 a most excellent and serviceable plan4 ,i took this hint from the ,esquimaux4 ,frank ,buckland's last ,fishery ,report was made in ,march1 #ahhj1 containing an interesting description of the anatomy of the salmon1 its food1 habits1 and the like4 ,mr4 ,buckland had brought on lung trouble by constant exposure and tireless energy1 and must have foreseen the end4 ,at first it seemed hard to him that he should be taken in the midst of his best work1 but he said1 ,god is so good1 so very good to the little fishes1 ,i do not believe he would let their inspector suffer shipwreck at last4 ,i am going a long journey1 where ,i think ,i shall see a great many curious animals4 ,this journey ,i must go alone4 ,he had before this written in his diary3 ,i think it not improbable that1 in a future state1 the mind will be allowed a greater scope of knowledge1 and the gates of omniscience will be thrown open to it1 so that those things which it now sees through a glass1 darkly1 will be opened to the view and understanding4 ,o most glorious reward1 for a mind occupied here on earth in investigating the wonderful works of the ,creator1 from the magnificent and stupendously grand scene of geology1 and the theory of the heavens1 to the minute and delicate construction of a microscopic animalcule1 or the immeasurably fine thread of a plant6 ,he died ,december #ai1 #ahhj1 and was buried in ,brompton ,cemetery1 on ,christmas ,eve4 ,his last book1 ,notes and ,jottings from ,animal ,life1 was published soon after his death4 ,no wonder that the noble son of the ,dean of ,westminster is remembered and loved4 ,a friend wrote1 after his death3 ,energy was only one of ,mr4 ,buckland's characteristics4 ,his kindliness was another4 ,perhaps no man ever lived with a kinder heart4 ,it may be doubted whether he ever willingly said a hard word or did a hard action4 ,he used to say of one gentleman1 by whom he thought he had been aggrieved1 that he had forgiven him seventy times seven already1 so that he was not required to forgive him any more4 ,he could not resist a cry of distress1 particularly if it came from a woman4 ,women1 he used to say1 are such doe-like1 timid things1 that he could not bear to see them unhappy4 ,one night1 walking from his office1 he found a poor servant-girl crying in the street4 ,she had been turned out of her place that morning1 as unequal to her duties2 she had no money and no friends nearer than ,taunton1 where her parents lived4 ,mr4 ,buckland took her to an eating-house1 gave her a dinner1 drove her to ,paddington1 paid for her ticket1 and left her in charge of the guard of the train4 ,his nature was so simple and generous that he did not even seem to realize that he had done an exceptionally kind action4 ,to read of such a life as this makes us trust humanity1 and reassures us that there are many1 very many noble and lovely characters in the world1 both men and women4 ,while we need good judgment and common sense1 so as to discriminate wisely1 we need also the sweet1 sunny nature which1 with some measure of ideality1 sees rose colors amid the sombre tints of life4 ,we usually find in other hearts what we cultivate in our own4 ,mrs4 ,sarah ,k4 ,bolton's ,famous ,books4 ,the most interesting books to me are the histories of individuals and individual minds1 all autobiographies1 and the like4 ,this is my favorite reading--,h4 ,w4 ,longfellow4 ,mrs4 ,bolton never fails to interest and instruct her readers4--,chicago ,inter-,ocean4 ,always written in a bright and fresh style--,boston ,home ,journal4 ,readable without inaccuracy4--,boston ,post4 ,,poor ,,boys ,,who ,,became ,,famous4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,short biographical sketches of ,george ,peabody1 ,michael ,faraday1 ,samuel ,johnson1 ,admiral ,farragut1 ,horace ,greeley1 ,william ,lloyd ,garrison1 ,garibaldi1 ,president ,lincoln1 and other noted persons who1 from humble circumstances1 have risen to fame and distinction1 and left behind an imperishable record4 ,illustrated with #bd portraits4 #abmo4 #a4ej4 ,it is seldom that a book passes under our notice which we feel impelled to commend so highly to young readers1 and especially to boys4--,n4 ,y4 ,observer4 ,no book within our knowledge is better suited to be adopted in the rapidly growing reading-circles of our country4--,journal of ,education4 ,of this class of books we cannot have too many1--the more we have the better4 ,this book1 placed in the hands of our youth1 will be worth more to them than gold4--,christian ,intelligencer4 ,,girls ,,who ,,became ,,famous4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,biographical sketches of ,harriet ,beecher ,stowe1 ,george ,eliot1 ,helen ,hunt ,jackson1 ,harriet ,hosmer1 ,rosa ,bonheur1 ,florence ,nightingale1 ,maria ,mitchell1 and other eminent women4 ,illustrated with portraits4 #abmo4 #a4ej4 ,mothers and daughters cannot fail to find it both an interesting and inspiring book4--,chicago ,inter-,ocean4 ,no better book can be put into the hands of a young girl4--,buffalo ,news4 ,such books as this will elevate the minds of young girls1 help them to understand the real problems of life1 and leave a lasting impression on their minds and character4--,boston ,herald4 ,,famous ,,men ,,of ,,science4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,short biographical sketches of ,galileo1 ,newton1 ,linnaeus1 ,cuvier1 ,humboldt1 ,audubon1 ,agassiz1 ,darwin1 ,buckland1 and others4 ,illustrated with #ae portraits4 #abmo4 #a4ej4 ,cannot fail to delight1 interest1 and instruct every boy or girl who may have the good fortune to read it4--,queries4 ,possesses both interest and permanent value4--,boston ,transcript4 ,no greater incentive to noble effort on the part of young men and women could be furnished than the biographies of eminent and successful men such as the present volume contains4--,brooklyn ,standard ,union4 ,,famous ,,american ,,statesmen4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,biographical sketches of ,washington1 ,franklin1 ,jefferson1 ,hamilton1 ,webster1 ,sumner1 ,garfield1 and others4 ,illustrated with portraits4 #abmo4 #a4ej4 ,with womanly tact and discernment1 she notes keenly and describes charmingly those minor traits of character which1 after all1 do most distinguish one individual from another1 and give human nature its subtle and wondrous variety4--,the ,critic4 ,it will be successful1 and as useful as her other books have become4444 ,her studies of character1 and manner of description are exceptionally interesting4--,congregationalist4 ,,famous ,,english ,,statesmen4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,with portraits of ,gladstone1 ,john ,bright1 ,robert ,peel1 ,lord ,palmerston1 ,lord ,shaftesbury1 ,william ,edward ,forster1 ,lord ,beaconsfield4 #abmo4 #a4ej4 ,the author's comprehension of her task is complete4 ,students should not consider their knowledge of the present reign thorough without a devoted reading of ,mrs4 ,bolton's work4 ,it is an inspiration to the study of history1--one of those rare and delightful books which elevate respect for the race1 and man in particular2 a book which makes the reader feel that to be a noble man is the highest privilege and the sublimest aim4--,chicago ,tribune4 ,a ready and accomplished writer4--,philadelphia ,public ,ledger4 ,drawn with remarkable fidelity4--,charleston ,news and ,courier4 ,,famous ,,english ,,authors ,,of ,,the #aith ,,century4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,with portraits of ,scott1 ,burns1 ,carlyle1 ,dickens1 ,tennyson1 ,robert ,browning1 etc4 #abmo4 #a4ej4 ,she invests with fresh interest and charm those oft-told stories of the great makers of our nineteenth-century literature4--,the ,critic4 ,admirably executed4444 ,they have a charm that no other kind of history can rival4--,golden ,rule4 ,even more interesting than the preceding books1 and will prove entertaining1 not only to young persons1 but to older readers as well4--,n4 ,y4 ,star4 ,,famous ,,american ,,authors4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,short biographical sketches of ,holmes1 ,longfellow1 ,emerson1 ,lowell1 ,aldrich1 ,mark ,twain1 and other noted writers4 ,illustrated with portraits4 #abmo4 #a4ej4 ,bright and chatty1 giving glimpses into the heart and home life of some whom the world delights to honor4444 ,at once accurate1 inviting1 instructive4--,chautauquan4 ,nothing dry about the book4444 ,should find a place in the libraries of those who can afford but few books4--,omaha ,daily ,times4 ,will always hold rank in ,english literature1 and all lovers of ,american authors should read it4--,ohio ,state ,journal4 ,,famous ,,european ,,artists4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,with portraits of ,raphael1 ,titian1 ,landseer1 ,reynolds1 ,rubens1 ,turner1 and others4 #abmo4 #a4ej4 ,the charm of the book1 as of all by ,mrs4 ,bolton1 lies in the easy1 conversational naturalness with which the reader is led from page to page4 ,solid information and pleasant entertainment are blended enjoyably4 ,young people in hundreds of homes will read such a book with interest1 and be the better for it4--,congregationalist4 ,abounds in information and entertainment4--,philadelphia ,bulletin4 ,there is nothing in the line of current biography that is better fitted for inculcating in the young a hearty taste for wholesome literature4444 ,printed in an artistic manner4--,troy ,times4 ,elevated both in language and thought4--,cleveland ,leader4 ,,famous ,,types ,,of ,,womanhood4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,with portraits of ,queen ,louise1 ,madam ,recamier1 ,miss ,dix1 ,jenny ,lind1 ,susanna ,wesley1 ,harriet ,martineau1 ,amelia ,b4 ,edwards1 and ,mrs4 ,judson4 #abmo4 #a4ej4 ,such a book is well fitted to strengthen the courage and inspiration of every woman who is learning to comprehend something of the inherent nobleness and glory of her sex4--,hartford ,daily ,times4 ,wise mothers will give this volume to their daughters4 ,conscientious teachers will read it to their scholars4--,interior4 ,,famous ,,voyagers ,,and ,,explorers4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,with portraits of ,raleigh1 ,sir ,john ,franklin1 ,magellan1 ,dr4 ,kane1 ,greely1 ,livingstone1 and others4 #abmo4 #a4ej ,mrs4 ,bolton studies with patience and relates with enthusiasm the adventures of this long line of heroes4 ,her style is simple and unaffected1 and her accuracy is unquestioned4--,christian ,advocate4 ,,famous ,,leaders ,,among ,,men4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,with portraits of ,napoleon1 ,wendell ,phillips1 ,thomas ,arnold1 ,charles ,kingsley1 ,gen4 ,sherman1 and others4 #abmo4 #a4ej ,a series of biographies which will be widely read and will do a great deal of good4--,boston ,herald4 ,entertaining and inspiring4--,public ,opinion4 ,her power of condensation borders on the marvelous4--,rochester ,herald4 ,,famous ,,leaders ,,among ,,women4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,with portraits of ,catherine ,,ii4 of ,russia1 ,madam ,le ,brun1 ,catharine ,booth1 etc4 #abmo1 cloth1 #a4ej4 ,it is by all odds the most charming of ,mrs4 ,bolton's famous books4--,northern ,church ,advocate4 ,her selection embraces great variety1 chronicling wonderful events4--,chicago ,press4 ,mrs4 ,bolton tells the story in a way that is both interesting and instructive4--,rochester ,herald4 ,,famous ,,givers ,,and ,,their ,,gifts4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,with portraits of ,andrew ,carnegie1 ,stephen ,girard1 ,john ,d4 ,rockefeller1 and others4 #abmo4 #a4ej4 ,latest ,volume in the ,series4 ,,stories ,,from ,,life4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 ,a book of short stories1 charming and helpful4 #abmo4 #a4be4 ,,from ,,heart ,,and ,,nature4 ,poems by ,,sarah ,k4 and ,,charles ,k4 ,,bolton4 #afmo4 ,gilt top1 #a4jj4 ,,the ,,inevitable1 ,,and ,,other ,,poems4 ,by ,,sarah ,k4 ,,bolton4 #afmo4 ,with portrait4 ,gilt top1 #a4jj4 ,,mrs4 ,,sarah ,,knowles ,,bolton ,illustration ,comes from good ,new ,england ancestry2 descended on her father's side from ,henry ,knowles1 who came to ,rhode ,island from ,london1 ,england1 in #afce1 and on her mother's side from ,colonel ,nathaniel ,stanley1 of ,hartford1 ,conn41 one of the leading men of the colony1 and from ,colonel ,william ,pynchon1 one of the twenty-six incorporators of ,massachusetts ,bay ,colony4 ,she was graduated from the ,hartford ,seminary1 established by ,catharine ,beecher2 published a volume of poems1 and in #ahff married ,charles ,e4 ,bolton1 ,a4,m41 of ,massachusetts1 an ,amherst ,college graduate of '#fe4 ,they removed to ,cleveland1 ,o41 where1 besides writing for various periodicals1 she did much charitable work4 ,she was secretary of the ,woman's ,christian ,association1 and ,asst4 ,cor4 ,sec4 of the ,nat4 ,w4 ,c4 ,t4 ,u4 ,she has twice visited ,europe1 spending two years in ,england1 ,france1 ,italy1 ,germany1 ,russia1 ,norway and ,sweden1 studying literary and educational matters1 and the means used by employers for the mental and moral elevation of their employees4 ,on the latter subject she read a paper before the ,american ,social ,science ,association in #ahhc4 ,she was for three years one of the editors of the ,boston ,congregationalist4 ,she prepared several small books for the ,cleveland ,educational ,bureau1 conducted gratuitously by her husband1 and described by ,dr4 ,washington ,gladden in the ,century magazine1 ,january1 #ahhe4 ,the ,bureau was discontinued when ,mr4 ,bolton gave his time to lecturing4 ,miss ,frances ,e4 ,willard says of ,mrs4 ,bolton1 ,she is one of the best-informed women in ,america1 the chief woman biographer of our times4 ,t4 ,y4 ,,crowell ,,co41 ,new ,york and ,boston4