10 HARMON NORTHROP MORSE— REMSEN [MemoibS [vo'Txxi i ; 



positions in the industrial laboratories rather than in the universities. I am not sure that I 

 understood fully his reasons for taking this somewhat paradoxical attitude. Possibly it was 

 of the nature of a protest against what he considered the inadequate opportunities and com- 

 pensation offered to young men in the universities; possibly he felt, with some others, that 

 the industrial and special laboratories, in some subjects at least, are offering the best oppor- 

 tunities in theoretical as well as practical research, and that young men of ambition and 

 promise may look to them with more confidence for that substantial support and encouragement 

 which work of this kind must have to insure its proper development. 



The good chance that made me his neighbor for many years on an island on the coast of 

 Maine during the summer vacations gave me abundant opportunities to discover and to appre- 

 ciate his many sterling and lovable personal characteristics. I found that beneath his quiet 

 and somewhat stern exterior there was a warm heart, an active emotional nature, and a great 

 love of humor. Those whose acquaintance with Doctor Morse was only incidental or official 

 must have gained the impression that he was an extremely reserved man. In a general gather- 

 ing he had little to say as a rule. The rapid-fire exchange of question and comment did not 

 suit his deliberate temperament, and he was likely under such conditions to remain in the 

 background as a quiet listener. But in a small company of intimates he could be a most 

 delightful companion, both entertaining and instructive. On suitable occasions he had many 

 good stories to tell, dealing mostly with the human frailties of the older natives of the island. 

 The point of the story was always brought out with a reminiscent chuckle or a good hearty 

 laugh which showed his own enjoyment in the recollection, and expressed also perhaps his sym- 

 pathetic realization of those touches of nature that make us humans all akin. When the 

 conversation turned upon more serious topics he displayed a remarkable fund of accurate 

 information gathered from his wide experience and extensive reading. When others guessed 

 or spoke vaguely and uncertainly, he was sure to have some precise and authentic knowledge. 

 His interest in matters pertaining to the progress and welfare of the country, especially in 

 political and social affairs, was real and warm. They were not for him simply matters of 

 reason and judgment, they penetrated deep into his emotional nature. While his manner and 

 mode of expression were judicial and conveyed the impression of a coldly rational temperament, 

 experience led me to realize that beneath the surface there was that kind of emotional heat 

 that makes a loyal partisan. He was a man who took sides on important questions, and once 

 he had made up his mind he could maintain his position with a granitelike firmness against 

 which arguments had little effect. In our estimates of men and affairs we differed sometimes 

 toto caelo, and in the discussions that ensued I rarely had the satisfaction of seeing any of my 

 chance arguments penetrate the joints of his armor. But it is a pleasure to remember that our 

 discussions never became heated or bitter, for he knew how to differ in his opinion in a courteous 

 and considerate manner. It was in fact a great pleasure and inspiration to talk matters over 

 with him, whether we agreed or disagreed, because of the fine and sturdy patriotism he exhibited 

 under all circumstances. His scientific interests did not prevent him from following minutely 

 all the movements and tendencies of the times, and I was often surprised to find in place of the 

 ultraconservatism that one might have expected to encounter in a man of his type, a marked 

 degree of modernism. So far as his country and his science were concerned, he was always on 

 the side of expansion and progress. 



Outside his reading his main occupation and recreation in summer was the care of his 

 garden. Into this work and play, for it was both to him, he carried the same spirit of unusual 

 thoroughness that was so characteristic of his scientific experiments. His materials and tools 

 must be of the best quality and all the processes of leveling, ■ weeding, planting, and trans- 

 planting were carried out with a degree of perfection that excited general comment in our small 

 neighborhood. It was well understood in that locality that anyone who did work for him 

 was expected to measure up to a very high standard of performance. No matter how small 

 the undertaking, it was planned with a singular degree of completeness, for he cordially disliked 

 anything of the nature of a makesluft or a temporary expedient. Nature was not always kind 

 to his agricultural experiments. Between the rigors of the climate and unexpected acts of 



