HIS PERSONALITY 



the globe. Captivating in their style and 

 alluring in their contents, they were never 

 marred by overstatement of excellencies. One 

 is constantly struck by the clarity of his con- 

 versation and the freshness and vividness of 

 his language, and, while this has usually been 

 the gift of all great scientific thinkers, it is es- 

 pecially noteworthy in this instance because of 

 the fact that while he was well grounded in 

 rudiments and has read widely, he has not had 

 the exhaustive literary training of the schools. 



He closed one of the very few public 

 addresses he has ever given, in this wise; the 

 words are characteristic: 



" Who can estimate the elevating and refin- 

 ing influences and moral value of flowers, with 

 all their graceful forms and bewitching shades 

 and combinations of colors and exquisitely 

 varied perfumes? These silent influences are 

 unconsciously felt even by those who do not 

 appreciate them consciously, and thus with 

 better and still better fruits, nuts, grains and 

 flowers will the earth be transformed, man's 

 thoughts turned from the base, destructive 

 forces into the nobler productive ones, which 

 will lift him to higher planes of action toward 



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