79 



It was customary every year for them to go to a certain 

 choice locality where the Arethusa was particularly abun- 

 dant, to collect the flowers and astonish their friends with 

 a profusion of the blossoms of this beautiful and usually 

 scarce plant. The trip was generally made on foot, but 

 as the distance was nearly ten miles and it was desired to 

 return before noon of the day selected, a carryall was 

 obtained, an early start made, and two little girls taken 

 to till the spare seats. The flowers were found in great 

 abundance juid in a few hours the party were on their way 

 home, Mr. Cooke and both little girls on the front seat. 

 All the way the children were particularly merry, and 

 Mr. Cooke merrier if possible than they. All sung, 

 laughed, and drove by turns, and when nearly in town, 

 it became necessary to quiet the fun lest it should too 

 much surprise the sober passers-by. Mr. Cooke never 

 was happier, and had not for two months seemed so 

 well. The same Arethusas were not all faded the day he 

 was laid in his grave. 



Mr. Robinson spoke of the public loss caused l)y Mr. 

 Cooke's death, and said that his long familiarity with the 

 specimens and customs at the Museum of the Academy, 

 would render it impossible to fill his place as he left it. 

 But beyond this, Mr. Robinson said he felt the personal 

 loss to be greater, for Mr. Cooke was one upon Avliom he 

 always felt able to call at an}^ and all times for favors or 

 assistance of any sort, with the assurance of an immediate 

 and cheerful response. 



Dr. George A. Perkins said, that his personal recol- 

 lections of Mr. Cooke were of the pleasantest kind, his 

 eminent fitness for the position he was called to fill had 

 often impressed itself upon him, and it would be safe to 

 say that no specimen or specimens, in any of the col lee- 



