Uoihrock.] -^"^ [May 19, 



Mr. James was as modest as lie was painstaking and accomplished. It 

 was only after the repeated solicitations of his life-long friend, Prof. Gray, 

 that he undertook the preparation of the Synopsis of North American 

 Mosses in conjunction with Mr. Lesquereux. When, however, he con- 

 sented, he began the task with all the eager earnestness of youth. Two 

 years of constant work made it requisite that he should rest ; and with this 

 end in view he took a trip to Europe in 1878. But even there all the time 

 he could give was spent in association with Schimper of Strassburg, then 

 the head of European bryology, in comparing our American species and 

 in settling synonyms. For a whole month Prof Schimper gave his after- 

 noons to labor with Mr. James in this task. The result of that visit will 

 be apparent in placing our own moss flora in proper relation with that of 

 Europe. His industry and singleness of purpose at a time when most 

 men seek rest were wonderful. During the last two years of his life he 

 labored "from ten to twelve hours each day over the mosses ; often three 

 or four hours at a time without moving from his table." Only a few 

 weeks before his death when reminded by Mi's. James that he had already 

 worked fourteen hours that day, and remonstrated with for writing by gas- 

 light, his reply was, " this work must be done and I have no time to rest. ' ' 



The end came, and came suddenly, but he was not unprepared for it. 

 No one whose life was as devout as his, and who lived with such entire 

 charity toward all men, could be unprepared. 



February 23, 1882, Ash-Wednesday, Mr. James left his study and at- 

 tended to his religious duties in the Chapel of the Protestant Episcopal 

 Theological Seminary of Harvard University. It was to him the very gate 

 to Heaven, though he little knew how soon he was to pass through and 

 into the eternal world. Services being over he returned to his work. 

 Leaving his study, he went into an adjoining room where he was seized 

 by paralysis of the left side, and this was followed by loss of speech and 

 then coma, from which without awakening he passed calmly away. 



We may well imagine how profound the grief over the loss of such a hus- 

 band and father would be. But it was hardly less deep in the hearts of 

 his habitual associates. A letter received from Professor Gray, who stood 

 by as Mr. James departed, contains a passage too sacred even for a bio- 

 graphical sketch, but which indicates a suppressed anguish and a sense of 

 personal bereavement more clearly than any phrase set in intentional 

 mournful measure could do. In another place Professor Gray has given 

 his estimate of the man, and in a single sentence explained the cause of 

 his own noble grief— because Mr. James "was admirable in all his rela- 

 tions. ' ' 



Mr. James' active interest in botanical science, and the estimation in 

 which he was held by his colleagues, are clearly indicated by the associa- 

 tion he had in the learned societies of this land. He was 



"Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 



"Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 



