LETTER FROM REV. GEORGE JONES. 357 



low in the world. For the poor, the dependent, the young, 

 the undistinguished, for all, he had a good word ; and 

 the word was not an empty token, but the indication of the 

 truth that lay in the heart. Hence all loved him." * 



A communication from Rev. George Jones, Chap 

 lain in the United States INavy, who married a niece 

 of Professor Silliman, touches on this and other vir 

 tues of his character. 



BROOKLYN, N. Y., July 24, 1865. 



IT is often the case with the writings of individ 

 uals that some go beyond, some fall short of the real nature 

 of the writer, and Professor Silliman's were frequently of 

 the latter kind. They do not show him to be the com 

 panionable, hearty, genial man that he was, with sympathies 

 ready to gush out at any moment, though they were well 

 regulated. Indeed, there was a quick, spontaneous good 

 ness about him, which would be very apt to give way to a 

 degree of stiffness in the case of any one sitting down to 

 the more formal business of writing. I think the most 

 striking thing in Professor Silliman was his freshness of 

 feeling, even to the very last of his life. He was one of the 

 few, the very few, persons whom we meet, who, in this 

 respect seem as if they do not grow and never can grow 

 old. My intimate acquaintance with him commenced thirty- 

 seven years ago, and continued unbroken till his decease ; 

 and in this respect I never knew in him any change. It 

 was one of the greatest charms in his companionship, for it 

 not only made the dignity of his age and his great acquire 

 ments sit gracefully upon him, but it drew one powerfully 

 toward him from the instinctive perception that such a 

 heart must be a thoroughly true one towards God and 

 towards all men. 



This leads me to speak of another thing about him ; and 

 that is the quick manner in which he and children always 

 * Funeral Discourse, p. 13. 



