138 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



exigencies to delay till now answering your letters of May 

 30 and July 12. As to a professorship, my impression is 

 that if your duties are reasonable in extent, and your com 

 pensation such as to excuse you from the necessity of doing 

 extra duty in order to earn money to live, and also such as 

 to permit you to spend your vacations in recreation, at 

 least as far as it shall prove necessary, that then your 

 chance for lasting would be as fair as anywhere 



As to undertaking a course of chemical demonstrations 

 without a previous apprenticeship in the practical part, I 

 must say that I think you would meet with much embarrass 

 ment, and lose much time and expense which must be saved 

 by going through with an experienced person, and your 

 standard of excellence would probably be lower. Should 

 you conclude on any such arrangement, you need not be 

 assured that I should do everything in my power to aid you. 

 As to your relation to your people, I should be very sorry 

 to do anything to impair the cordiality or destroy the 

 permanency of a connection, which I understand from Mr. 

 Morey and others, is highly useful and agreeable ; and I 

 should hesitate much as to the course of duty, unless there 

 is really a prospect of your obtaining better health, and 

 moving in a more extensive sphere of usefulness. On this 

 topic I confess myself unable to form a decision. I believe 

 your services particularly valuable in your parish, and in 

 your community, especially in the present crisis of religious 

 controversy. I do, however, believe that you would excel 

 in scientific pursuits, and other things being equal, I could 

 wish you to be placed in a situation to indulge your peculiar 

 dispositions on this subject, and to bring your peculiar 

 powers into action. Should you adopt the semi-agricultural 

 plan, and the semi-scientific, I would most cheerfully aid 

 you in procuring a proper situation, as far as might be in 

 my power 



Hoping that your health may soon be restored, I remain, 

 my dear sir, with the best wishes for your welfare, very 

 sincerely your friend. 



