EDWARD DRINKER COPE 339 



who avoid doing anything of any value or importance. It is very 

 desirable not to be compelled to live with such people. Any one |\ 

 who feels the seriousness of life and the certainty of its termination, j 

 will not waste it." 



The last letter that he ever wrote contains so much that is perti- 

 nent to this subject that I cannot forbear from including a large 

 portion of it. He wrote, using the familiar style of the Quakers, 

 the style of his ancestors and of the faith in which he was born: 



"Dear Aunt Jane: I understand that to-morrow is thy birthday 

 and I wish to send my greetings. 



"I do not expect to leave the world yet awhile, but I shall do so 

 when the time comes with the full belief that it will be a change 

 greatly for the better. 



"The relation of the Supreme to men is that of father to children, 

 and if we keep the relation true, He (?) will not fail. To be sick 

 is good for us sometimes. It corrects our perspective of human 

 life, and sets things in a proportion which we must sometimes see. 

 In active life we have our special pre-occupation of mind, and see 

 chiefly those things. 



"So we do our work; and must do it; but to take a pause some- 

 time is good. This applies to me, for I have many enterprises 

 going on that need close attention, and other things cannot receive 

 much attention. 



"May physical comfort attend thy coming years; mental peace 

 thee knows how to have, and may it remain." 



In February of 1897, Cope's health became seriously affected 

 by a nephritic disorder which it is said "might possibly have been 

 remedied by a surgical operation," but this he would not submit 

 to. He soon grew worse and, in March, he wrote to his wife, 

 saying: 



" I went to my lecture Tuesday and was the worse for it. I am 

 well cared for by the Doctor and Miss Brown; and between my 

 spells of pain, I can do some work that enables me to pass the 

 time as pleasantly as may be under the circumstances. My pur- 

 suits are fortunately such that they are not suspended by imprison- 

 ment in the house. This is fortunate for me, as I find inaction 

 very unpleasant, until I am actually disabled and then it comes 

 natural. 



