jct 4 mi 



THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 103 



"At the annual meeting of the Essex Institute, May 

 16, 1898, 



Resolved: That owing to the long-continued and pain- 

 ful illness of the Secretary, Mr. Henry M. Brooks, the 

 Institute misses the presence of a faithful officer, and its 

 members the company of a delightful friend. 



It is therefore 



Voted: That the sympathy of the members present be 

 extended to Mr. Brooks, together with the sincere wish 

 that the coming season will bring to him renewed health 

 and strength." 



President's Report, May 16, 1898. 



This report should naturally begin with some notice of 

 the irreparable loss we lnive sustained in the death of Mr. 

 Hunt. The last meeting at which he was present was 

 that of Monday, January 17, addressed by Captain John 

 P. Reynolds. He wrote me next day regretting that, on 

 account of a family engagement which he named, he had 

 arrived at the meeting only in time to hear the general 

 commendation the paper elicited. The last time we met 

 was on Wednesday at dusk. It was a warm, damp night. 

 His overcoat was flung lightly over his shoulders, the 

 sleeves hanging loose, as was his wont. After talking in 

 the street about Institute matters for a while we parted, 

 and I saw him disappear up the broad, marble stairs of 

 the Holyoke Building. He seemed well. That night he 

 was stricken and he died on Friday. On Monday follow- 

 ing, January 24, Professor Mendenhall was to address 

 the Institute at Plummer Hall, and it was thought tittinsr 

 that the occasion should be availed of to put on record 

 and oiler to the public some recognition of our loss as a 

 Society and to provide for a memorial service which should 

 give expression of our share in a grief felt to be spon- 



