THE STORY OF AN ENTOMOLOGIST 



its members interested us greatly by making some impromptu 

 and very clever pencil sketches. His name was Joseph J. Pennell. 

 This man reached exceptional fame, but it is also true that there 

 were many others who reached high rank in many lines of 

 thought and action. 



As it happened, I presided rather recently at a big dinner cele- 

 brating the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Capitol 

 Club. It was attended by seventy or eighty gray-haired veterans, 

 and I had much sly pleasure in complimenting patronizingly 

 the after-dinner speech of a retired Major General of the U. S. 

 Army, who, as a long-legged boy, had ridden a sixty-inch wheel 

 on many of our runs. 



I could tell many stories about these young men, but I can 

 spend very little time on these side matters. I should, however, 

 mention one forgotten genius who, in fact, did not live long 

 enough to become well known. His name was L. Warren Seely. 

 He had never been to college, and, as is so often the case with 

 men so placed, he greatly exaggerated the value of a college 

 education. This man had an extremely bright mind and wrote 

 with great ability and charm. He was a patent lawyer and his 

 occupation irked him. One especial instance of his cleverness 

 sticks in my mind. We were calling together one night on some 

 girls. It was in the days of autograph albums, and one of the 

 girls said, "Oh, Mr. Seely, you are so clever, won't you write 

 something in my album?" And Seely sat down and spon- 

 taneously wrote the following lines: 



When old Ulysses on his path of duty 



Close by the Sirens' Islands sailed his ships, 



He saw there forms of more than mortal beauty. 

 And heard celestial music from their lips. 



'Tis said he sailed away, but I'm afraid 



Had you been one of them he must have stayed. 



[59] 



