PROFESSOR WILDER 



pre-eminently a teacher. He taught his as- 

 sistants; he taught the teachers in the public 

 schools; he taught college students; he taught 

 the public, and the common people heard him 

 gladly. His unparalleled achievements as an 

 instructor are thus chronicled by his wife: 



* A teacher in the widest sense, he sought and 

 found his pupils in every class. But in America 

 for the first time did he come into contact with 

 the general mass of the people on this common 

 ground, and it influenced strongly his final 

 resolve to remain in this country. Indeed the 

 secret of his greatest power was to be found in 

 the sympathetic, human side of his character. 

 Out of his broad humanity grew the genial 

 personal influence by which he awakened the 

 enthusiasm of his audiences for unwonted 

 themes, inspired his students to disinterested 

 services like his own, delighted children in the 

 school-room, and won the cordial interest, as 

 well as the co-operation in the higher aims of 

 science, of all classes, whether rich or poor.' 



As a general statement the foregoing could 

 not be improved. But the invitation to pre- 

 pare this article contained a suggestion of par- 



[32] 



