FRIENDSHIP OF E. C. HERRICK 



two very different fields : the study of insects and the 

 observation of meteors, to which may be added close 

 attention to the annals of Yale. He held successively 

 the offices of librarian and of treasurer in the college ; 

 he was editor of the triennial catalogue and of the obituary 

 record, and there were few, if any, men of mark at New 

 Haven, in literature or science, during the middle years 

 of this century, who were not indebted to him for sug- 

 gestions, corrections, stimulus, or assistance. As long as 

 he lived, his friendship for Dana continued, and fora con- 

 siderable period before his death in 1862, almost every 

 page of the Journal of Science passed under the typo- 

 graphical scrutiny of his marvellous, microscopic eye. 

 His name, which should never disappear from the memo- 

 ries of Yalensians, will often be mentioned in these pages. 



E. C. HERRICK TO DANA 



" NEW HAVEN, May 25, 1833. 



"My DEAR FELLOW: 



I had the pleasure of forwarding to you, by the mail 

 which left this place yesterday noon, the long-expected 

 letter from Captain Ballard [dated April i, 1833], of which 

 you have a copy above. I had wellnigh despaired of 

 the existence of the document, and you no doubt have 

 felt the force of Solomon's observation, that ' hope 

 deferred maketh the heart sick,' but all such feelings 

 may now give place to those of a more cheerful kind. 

 I heartily wish you all possible enjoyment in your new 

 vocation. 



' You will doubtless remark that there seems to be 

 something rather strange about the chronology of Captain 

 Ballard's letter. I believe it is not usual, especially 

 among men of business, to retain a letter a month after 

 writing, as this appears to have been. But, whatever 

 may be the rationale of the phenomenon, it will hardly 

 be advisable to take much trouble to hunt it up, as the 

 fact, though somewhat singular, can do no harm here- 

 after. You may consider yourself fortunate in getting it 



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