LETTER FROM PROFESSOR THACHER. 339 



ness, the same play of spirit, and withal the same unoffend- 

 ing frankness which appeared in him to the close of life. 

 I had forgotten to bring testimonials of character from the 

 preparatory school which I had attended, and ventured to 

 refer him to one of the College tutors, who, with the excep- 

 tion of the last preceding year, had been one of my teachers 

 in the school. "Ah," said he with a smile, " you may have 

 lost your character since that teacher left your school." 

 During the same examination, I remember that he was not 

 deterred by my standing within hearing distance, from dis- 

 tinctly but politely reproving a tutor for spitting from one 

 of the windows of the gallery of the chapel, where the 

 examination was held. Nor was he satisfied with the tutor's 

 reply that he had been careful to look before committing 

 the act ; for it was the act which offended him, as much as 

 the danger of passers-by. lie would have set up in every 

 public place the in hoc loco despui religio est. 



Professor Silliman's method of examination was different 

 from that of Professor Kingsley, whose presence on that 

 occasion I also vividly remember. He was inclined to form 

 a general estimate of a young man's promise by the indica- 

 tions which were more obvious. Professor K. on the other 

 hand, seemed to have the faculty of quickly opening a shaft 

 into the very being of a man, and seeing what was in him ; 

 and his work was soon done, unless he was either detained 

 by a kindled interest in the personality of some bright- 

 minded candidate, or by a desire, in the case of some other, 

 to find the evidence of fitness, which was not at first 

 apparent. Both of them were rather disposed to overlook 

 deficiencies as far as it was by any means proper to do so, 

 and as years went on they grew uneasy under the gradually 

 increasing stringency of the examination. 



My earlier memory of Professor Silliman is very much 

 associated with that same chapel, for it was not until I was 

 near my degree that I came under his instruction in science. 

 He for many years officiated at prayers every Sunday even- 



