30 William Keith Brooks 



fined him to his home, but yet his will brought him back 

 to his laboratory, till one last day, February 12. After 

 preparatory rest, driven by his conscientiousness, he 

 forced himself to attend an oral examination of a candi- 

 date for the degree of Ph. D. Then walking to the train 

 that brought him home, he was there overcome by a 

 serious collapse. He was persuaded to go to the hospital 

 and, after most severe attacks there, rallied ; but in nine 

 long months that followed he scarcely left his wheel-chair. 



When he returned to his home he got such comfort as 

 might be from the advent of spring, the passing of summer 

 and the long lingering of autumn, amidst scenes so 

 familiar and dear. Despite his critical state he was 

 deeply interested in such news as came to him from the 

 university. His last official act was a strong, successful 

 plea for another when his own interests might well have 

 absorbed his attention. His was real friendship growing 

 out of his own wide sympathies. 



While having some strength to correct the proofs of 

 papers in press, he felt most keenly his inability to put his 

 last work upon paper, and till this work was done he 

 would not deem it right to retire or seek a pension. The 

 end was imminent, but could not be predicted. His mind 

 was still interested in books and objects of nature, down 

 to a week from the end. Back of the weakness of organs, 

 which he deplored, lay indomitable will and soul, masked 

 not absent. Finally came stuporous death. After ser- 

 vices in Trinity Church^ his friends, the faculty and his 

 students, followed the body to its resting place, on the 

 brow of a hill overlooking a broad valley, in the cemetery 

 of the county s>eat of Baltimore county. 



In person, Professor Brooks was of short stature and 

 with ruddy abundant flesh, but yet with small refined 

 boning. Early photographs show him a strikingly thought- 

 ful, quiet but resolute man, with the seeing eyes that 

 remained to the last. Later, when first he came to Balti- 

 more, Brooks was a noticeable, short man, with bushy 



