412 ELIZABETH GARY AGASSIZ 



self so impressed with Mrs. Agassiz's presentation of 

 the case that he availed himself of a mode of retreat 

 suggested to him by the counsel for the petition. He 

 made no statement in opposition to Mrs. Agassiz. I 

 suppose he did not feel equal to that task. I know I 

 should have felt in that way, if I had been retained on 

 the wrong side. Thereafter the petition for the estab- 

 lishment of Radcliffe College went smoothly on its 

 course, and the needed bill was passed. 



Mrs. Agassiz did not perceive at the moment the 

 effect she had produced. She was agitated at the 

 close of the meeting and felt that she had not suc- 

 ceeded; so I had the pleasure of telling her that she 

 had succeeded, and that she had succeeded all alone. 



The previous speakers have told of the womanly 

 character of Mrs. Agassiz. She was cultivated, well- 

 bred, and in her manner aristocratic, if you please, 

 in the best sense; but there never was in this commu- 

 nity a more influential woman, and in this case it ap- 

 peared most clearly that her influence was of the 

 strongest with common men. That is as it should be. 

 I am sure those men said to themselves as they lis- 

 tened to her, "I should like to do just what this wo- 

 man wants me to do. I will vote for the establishment 

 of any college of which this woman is to be the head. 

 I will vote for the establishment of any college which 

 is going to give this woman an opportunity to bring 

 up some women like her." That was just the effect she 

 produced. Everybody in the room felt it. "Let us 

 have the college which this woman asks for, and let us 

 hope that she will train up in it women like herself." 



