360 EULOGY ON PEOFESSOE ALEXANDEE DALLAS BACHE. 



read her letters to her son while at West Point, " nothing could be more 

 admirable than the way in which, amid pleasant gossip and family 

 news, she would inspire her son with high sentiments and encourage him 

 to persevering industry." 



As an illustration of his persistency of purpose, it is related that, when 

 a recitation of more than common length or difficulty was to be prepared 

 for the morrow, it was no unusual practice of his to place himself on a 

 seat of unstable equilibrium, which by giving way when volition was 

 about to lose its power recalled his flagging attention to the allotted 

 task. 



After graduating he was selected, on account of his scholarship, to 

 remain at the Academy as an assistant professor. In this position, 

 which gave him an opportunity to review his studies and extend his 

 reading, he continued one year ; when, at his own request, he was 

 assigned to engineering duty under the late General, then Colonel, Tot- 

 ten, at Newport, Rhode Island. Here he remained two years, engaged 

 in constructing fortifications, devoting his extra hours to the study of 

 physics and chemistry, and, as a recreation, collecting and labeling the 

 shells of that region. But the most important event of this period of 

 his life, and that which, doubtless, contributed in a large degree to his 

 future success, was his becoming acquainted with and subsequent 

 betrothal to Miss Nancy Clarke Fowler, the daughter of an old and 

 highly-respected citizen of Newport. With the stinted pay of a lieu- 

 tenant of engineers, out of which his mother and her younger offspring 

 were to be provided for, marriage was not to be thought of, excepting as 

 an event in the remote distance. Fortunately as unexpectedly, how- 

 ever, a change now took place in his circumstances which enabled him 

 to gratify the earnest wish of his heart and to secure to himself a com- 

 panion and helpmate who lavished upon him all her affections, and 

 through his life ardently devoted all her thoughts and energies to sus- 

 tain, assist, and encourage him. The change alluded to, and which 

 opened to him an uninterrupted career of usefulness during the whole 

 of his active life, was the result of an invitation to the chair of natural 

 philosophy and chemistry in the University of Pennsylvania, at Phila- 

 delphia. He accepted the position with that unaffected diffidence which 

 is the usual concomitant of true but untried merit, though, as might 

 have been anticipated, his eventual success was commensurate with the 

 industry and ability which had marked his previous progress. Hav- 

 ing already had some experience as a teacher, he the more readily gained 

 the entire confidence of the authorities of the university aud the affec- 

 tion of his pupils. He did not, however, rest satisfied with the occu- 

 pation of teacher, or with merely imparting knowledge obtained by 

 the labors of others, but sought to enlarge the bounds of science by 

 discoveries of his own. As auxiliary to this, he became a member of 

 the Franklin Institute, a society then newly established for the promo- 

 tion of the mechanical arts. This society, which still maintains a vig- 



