2 ;6 PIONEERS OF SCIENCE IN AMERICA. 



To complete the picture, even of a man of science, the social 

 and domestic side of his character and life as well as daily oc- 

 cupations must not be omitted. He was kind and gentle in 

 manner and speech, his somewhat quick temper being under 

 complete control. Though his children stood rather in awe of 

 him, as did many others (of his subordinates), he ruled them by 

 affection and " treated them as intelligent beings," as he said, 

 the result being the most implicit obedience. 



His active mind was engaged frequently upon subjects re- 

 quiring deep thought while his hands were executing works of 

 minor importance. On being asked why he did not plow his 

 own fields, he would reply that he never liked to engage in any 

 manual labour that absorbed the whole attention, as he desired 

 to keep his mind free for other matters. His knowledge of 

 chemistry was brought into use in the cultivation of his farm 

 much to the amusement of his less enlightened neighbours, who 

 did not believe in " book farming." He had learned the use of 

 carpenter's tools when a boy, for his father, in order to keep 

 his sons off the street, had wisely provided them interesting 

 occupation at home by fitting up a shop for their use. Prof. 

 Vanuxem turned his skill to account in making the cases and 

 chests of drawers in his cabinet a room measuring about fif- 

 teen by twenty-five or thirty feet and otherwise as occasion 

 required. 



" Always cheerful, intelligent, bright, and full of anecdote," 

 it has been said of him, " he was gladly welcomed into every 

 social circle." Both frugality and generosity were prominent 

 traits of his character. More than once did he take into his 

 household, for indefinite periods, young relatives who needed 

 assistance. His table was abundantly supplied and his house 

 was well furnished with comforts, but extravagance in any- 

 thing he strongly deprecated, especially in dress. " Love of 

 dress," he used to say, " had caused more sin than anything 

 else in the world." 



Careful and neat to an extreme himself in his habits and 

 arrangements, he exacted the same from those around him as 

 far as possible. Of the courtesies and conventionalties he was 

 most scrupulously observant, and was greatly annoyed by any 

 breach thereof, as when any of his Quaker neighbours, coming 

 in, would sit with hat on in the house. Obedience to the 

 " golden rule " appeared to be the guide of his life, as he was 



