SKETCH OF EDWARD L. YOUMANS. 691 



about and help himself a little, and was encouraged to form plans for 

 future work, when suddenly his eyes became again inflamed, and he 

 was thrown back into his old condition of blindness. This state of 

 health continually prevented his complete recovery of sight ; and so 

 for the next twelve years he very rarely had vision enough to read 

 ordinary type. 



On leaving the infirmary, Livingston boarded for a time in a house 

 with several printers of the more intelligent class. Their society suited 

 his tastes, and they took a strong personal interest in him. They 

 brought the important new books of the day to his attention, and read 

 them to him in the intervals of their work. After a year or two he 

 had the good fortune to be received in a Quaker family, where he was 

 treated quite as one of the household. His New York home continued 

 to be with these excellent people for many years. The Quakers called 

 him by his first name (Edward), as it was easier to speak, and the other 

 was soon dropped, except in his family and among the friends of his 

 youth. 



During the early years of his life in New York, Edward sustained 

 himself by literary labor, of a rather miscellaneous character, having 

 devised a writing-machine which could be carried in the pocket, and 

 by the aid of which he was able to work without assistance. In a few 

 months, under Dr. Elliot's treatment, he became sufficiently familiar 

 with its routine to carry it on, with my assistance only ; and after 

 this he often came home to Saratoga with a carpet-bag full of books, 

 enough to occupy us for weeks, or until an unmanageable relapse 

 compelled a return to his physician. 



It must not be inferred that this self-education was a hap-hazard 

 affair. On the contrary, it was carried out with a definite purpose, 

 and with the utmost perseverance. Of course, all the early plans about 

 going to college were now ended, and cpiite as much from choice as 

 from necessity. His knowledge of science, and particularly of applied 

 science, had been steadily growing, and he had studied with especial 

 care all the important works on scientific agriculture. It was impos- 

 sible for him to rest with half-knowledge, but his blindness made the 

 chemical side of this subject especially difficult. This obstacle was 

 partly overcome in the summer of 1843, when I had the advantage of 

 attending a very full course of lectures and experiments in chemistry, 

 given at Fairfield, New York, by Professor Mather. After this we 

 could manage the subject fairly well together ; but, unable as he was 

 to observe the characteristic behavior of chemical substances, he could 

 not readily individualize them. His ideas about them, therefore, were 

 easily confused, and he was constantly striving to make them more 

 definite. 



In the fall of 1845 I was able to join my brother in New York, 

 and give all my time to his assistance. When not occupied with tasks 

 of immediate concern, he now gave his attention to the execution of a 



