ETUEL SAKEL UEPP 1D5 



undoubtedly extended her life by a period of nine years. During 

 this i)eri()d there were numerous and health-giving visits to Dartmoor 

 and Tunbridge Wells, with the family; and in 1920 a visit to Kew 

 enabled Ethel to renew many old acquaintances. 



Her life at Torquay was a very happy one, cheered by her husband's 

 weekly visits and the occasional visits of friends, by the company o£ 

 her children, and by the presence of her dear friend Miss Garde. 

 Mrs. Gepp was no querulous invalid; her interest in current events 

 never failed ; always an attentive and sympathetic listener, she was a 

 most thoughtful hostess, keenly interested in the doings of her friends. 

 Her gracious manner and beautiful and expressive voice added to the 

 charm that her visitors experienced, to which those of her friends 

 whose letters I have been allowed to see paid eloquent tribute. 

 A quotation from one of these will convey better than words of mine 

 could do the impression formed by her guests : — 



" I like to think of her as I always remember her — sitting in her 

 chair in the sunshiny window-room, her well-filled table beside her, 

 her well-beloved pen in her hand, her brain busy with work or 

 thought— only turning as the door opened to spring up briskly with 

 her welcoming smile and grasp : not a word or sign of symptoms or 

 illness, but intelligent criticisms on current affairs or letters in the 

 Times, an amusing story of the doings of neighbour or friend, or a 

 proud recital of some feat of ' the children ' ; or, again, better still, out 

 of doors on her beloved moors, actively moving about wrapped in a 

 warm cloak, her laughing face always making the best of any 

 contretemps — ready for a picnic or an expedition with the help of her 

 faithful donkey .... how could one remember that she was an invalid V 

 She was the life of the party, the centre of attraction for young and 

 old : everyone gravitated round her— all sought her encouragement 

 or advice." 



During the last two or three years, recurrent attacks of heart trouble 

 weakened Ethel's powers of resistance, and a sharp attack of influenza 

 during the recent epidemic quickly exhausted her strength. ^ In spite 

 of the most careful nursing, she passed away on April 6, to the 

 intense regret of all who had known her. 



Mrs. Gepp's services to Algology are indicated in some com- 

 memorative names. Bartoiiia was, of course, already occupied ; but 

 Ethelia, established as a subgenus of SquamariacecE by Mrs. Weber 

 van Bosse (in Trans. Linn. Soc. 2 S. viii. 138) was raised to generic 

 rank by F. Schmitz in the Botany of the Sihoga Expedition. Other 

 commemorations are Caulerpa Bartonice G. Murray and Delesserm 

 Bartonice F. Schmitz; Lithothamnion Geppii Lemoine and other 

 species were dedicated jointly to husband and wife. 



James Britten. 



o 2 



