LETTER FROM REV. DR. SPRAGUE. 377 



in some public building, a fine picture of him, for which 

 he had been requested to sit, and destroyed it by throwing 

 it into the river.* On the whole, when I think of Profes- 

 sor Silliman, I bring before me a man who had as few in- 

 firmities, and as many sterling good qualities, as we can 

 reasonably expect to find in this imperfect state. I recall 

 with admiration his attractive exterior ; his fine person and 

 winning address; but with much greater admiration his 

 noble qualities of mind and heart ; his quickness of percep- 

 tion ; his facility at combining and arranging his vast 

 stores of knowledge, and his graceful style of communica- 

 tion ; his invincible fidelity to his own convictions ; his 

 kindness, his charity, and above all, his earnest devotion to 

 the cause of Christ, as I think of these and other traits, 

 his character rises before me as a specimen of humanity 

 in its most exalted form. The best wish I can express 

 for my dear old Alma Mater is, that this character may be 

 reproduced in all who shall hereafter occupy her high 

 places. 



* Recent intelligence renders it probable that Professor Silliman had 

 been misinformed, and that the picture was not destroyed. F. 



