408 ELIZABETH GARY AGASSIZ 



pathies, rendering her at all moments alive to the 

 interests of others as if they were her own, were 

 guided and controlled by a discerning and wise judg- 

 ment, and animated by a courageous spirit. To this 

 combination, a hardly less rare quickness of appre- 

 ciation of whatever is beautiful or interesting in life, 

 was added. A lover of music : with a lively interest 

 in literature: and with an enthusiastic but not ex- 

 travagant admiration for all that is heroic and noble 

 in human character, her soul was always open to 

 the best influences which the world can exert. The 

 last time I saw her — not many months ago in her 

 sitting-room upstairs — she was seated with a read- 

 ing-desk before her on which lay open two books re- 

 lating to the recent discoveries in Mars. She spoke of 

 them with vivacious interest and intelligence, and 

 our talk ran on naturally from the wonders of astron- 

 omy to the mysteries of the universe; mysteries 

 which she confronted and accepted as simply as she 

 had confronted and solved the problems of earthly 

 Hfe. 



' It is a great blessing for an institution, the life of 

 which is to be measured by centuries, and which is 

 as closely connected as Radcliffe with the highest in- 

 terests of the community, to have for its founders men 

 or women of such character as to make them contem- 

 poraneous with each successive generation, and exem- 

 plary from the possession of character such as all may 

 imitate; admirable and inspiring men and women yet 

 not removed from the common lot by unusual bril- 

 liancy of gift or marked superiority of intellectual 



