PERSONAL HISTORY 179 



about, became his pets. Especially dear to his 

 heart was a thornless cactus (Epiphyllum) 

 which he carried about in his arms, until in an 

 unhappy moment he stumbled and fell, break- 

 ing pot and plant. This was his first great 

 sorrow; although by care the plant was made to 

 flourish again. Trees and flowers were espe- 

 cially abundant near our home, and wandering 

 among them was a pastime he greatly enjoyed. 

 No child ever entered more fully into the heart 

 of nature. From my brother's writings I glean 

 the following reminiscences of his childhood: 



"From a distinctly remembered incident I 

 must from the first have been of an investigat- 

 ing turn of mind. The first thing that was fixed 

 in memory happened in this way: my good 

 mother, conforming to one of the customs of 

 old New England days, had just finished pre- 

 paring a large quantity of 'fried cakes,' and had 

 placed the boiling fat upon the floor in the 

 rear of the stove. Apparently it was a great 

 mystery to me how the hot fat could change 

 the sticky, unpalatable dough into the brown, 

 crisp and evidently to my infant fingers 

 irresistible 'doughnuts.' So, when mother's back 

 was turned, I 'hitched' along, as children do be- 

 fore they learn to walk, personally to investigate 

 the subject, and removing the lid from the ket- 



