LETTER FROM PROFESSOR THACHER. 341 



how he, now past fourscore, was in the habit of coming to 

 God with the simplicity and frankness, and dependent spirit 

 of a child, acknowledging all his faults and weaknesses, as 

 well as sins, unveiling his whole life with all its hopes and 

 fears as in the confidence of secret love, counting nothing 

 which affected him too insignificant to whisper into the ear 

 of the Almighty Father. 



But to return for a moment longer to the chapel ; you 

 know that the students at the close of the services always 

 waited respectfully for the Professors to pass between their 

 ranks and leave the house first. The President was wont 

 to attend prayers in the morning only. Professor Silliman 

 took the lead, receiving the bows of the Seniors and Fresh 

 men successively with all the stateliness and easy grace of 

 a man born to head a procession. Professor Kingsley came 

 next, indicating by his whole bearing that in his soul he 

 had no inclination to pomp. And yet if any breach of 

 decorum occurred as they passed along, the latter would be 

 more prompt than the former to rebuke it on the spot. 

 These two were followed by Professor Goodrich, and some 

 times by Professor Fitch, and then Professor Olmsted. 

 How much of the very character of these College men was 

 indicated by their manner, as they thus passed down from 

 the desk to the door of the chapel ! But they all have long 

 since ceased to be seen there. For years there has been 

 no man in the whole Academical Faculty of the College 

 who was in it when I presented myself for examination as 

 I have described above. 



As a colleague in the Faculty, Professor Silliman was 

 courteous and unassuming, and was willing to take his share 

 of the labor and responsibility of discipline in all serious 

 cases, either of special offence, or of general disorder by day 

 or at night. He was quite ready to administer personal 

 rebuke to students who were improper in their behavior, 

 and would sometimes with no little warmth, request that 

 those, for instance, whose improper attitudes during worship 



