BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 87 



On the twenty-sixth of November, she presented a note of 

 introduction given to her by Mr. Christy to Dr. Murie, Li- 

 brarian of the Linnaean Society. She says: "The old man 

 placed every book in the library at my disposal. I spent nearly 

 four hours in taking notes and shall return on Monday. He 

 allowed me to bring home with me some books from the 

 library. One is in manuscript. I think women have every 

 opportunity for advancement if they will only persevere. 

 It will require very little effort to throw over the last bar- 

 riers." 



Professor Armstrong had criticised Miss Abbott's Yucca 

 paper as showing evidences of hunting out methods and means 

 for herself, and he discouraged this as a waste of time, and 

 thought that she ought to be near some one who could teach 

 her rapidly the very newest methods, and really help her in 

 arriving at a successful termination of any research work. 

 He thought that before going to Germany, it would be well 

 for her to stop in England and have a good deal of personal 

 supervision, since in Germany "one is left to carry out one's 

 own fate a good deal." 



On her return to America, she went to Boston, where she 

 studied for a time under the direction of Professor Arthur 

 Michael, of Tufts College, to whom she was married in 

 June, 1888. In the summer of the same year Professor and 

 Mrs. Michael started on a trip around the world. 



It is unfortunate that we do not possess even brief and hasty 

 notes of this memorable journey, which lasted about a year 

 and a half. With her keen powers of observation, her unusual 

 interest in art, science, and life, she would have chronicled 

 a host of varied experiences, especially in Japan and in 

 India, where the prevailing phases of religious thought would 

 naturally appeal to her ever-widening sympathies. 



In Japan she added materially to her unique collection of 

 art objects, rich silken embroideries, keramics, and kake- 

 monos, especially those portraying " the harmless necessary 

 cat." She had a host of bronze and porcelain effigies of her 

 favorite pet animal, and among her treasures was one painted 

 by a Chinese emperor hundreds of years ago. When she was in 



