JAMES HENRY COFFIN. 451 



to Mrs. Abby Elizabeth Young, who survived him seven years. 

 The only child of this marriage was a son who died in infancy. 



In national affairs Prof. Coffin ever took a deep interest, 

 and his political duties were always performed as matters of 

 conscience. His course was strictly independent, hence he 

 could not become a " party man." 



He was quick to seize an opportunity to do a kindness; 

 was fond of little children, and would take much pains to 

 amuse them. He enjoyed music, and having learned to play 

 the flute in his early years, continued the practice into middle 

 life. 



In the eulogy pronounced upon him before the National 

 Academy of Sciences, by his intimate friend, Prof. Arnold 

 Guyot, of Princeton, Prof. Coffin was described as " naturally 

 modest, unobtrusive, and absolutely unselfish ; he never sought 

 to impose himself or his opinions on others. His kindness of 

 heart, his gentleness, coupled with great firmness, energy, and 

 perseverance, exerted a strong and beneficent influence on his 

 surroundings. His profound love of truth made him the cau- 

 tious, candid, and persevering observer whom we know, while 

 his inquiring mind kept his eye open to every ray of light, from 

 whatever quarter it might come. He joined the Church while 

 at Amherst, and to the end of his life was a devoted Christian. 



His health suffered several severe strains in 1872, so that 

 when in the following winter he was attacked by erysipelas, 

 from which his wife was suffering at the time, he was unable 

 to withstand the onslaught of the disease. 



As a teacher, Prof. Coffin was laborious and enthusiastic, 

 and his success was remarkable. He secured the respect and 

 love of his pupils to a degree seldom equalled ; but he was also 

 a zealous student in science, and published several valuable 

 works as the results of his researches. Among these are his 

 Analytical Geometry, and his Conic Sections, which, at one 

 time, were extensively used as text-books in our colleges. 

 While connected with the Fellenberg Institution he published 

 two works on book-keeping, that were adopted by the State 

 schools of Massachusetts. He read many valuable papers be- 

 fore the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 

 of which he was, from its organization, a member; and also be- 

 fore the National Academy of Science, for the meeting of 

 which in 1873 he had in preparation an article on the Storm- 



