104 MEMORIAL SKETCH. 



immediately on the moral as well as on the intellectual ele- 

 vation of great masses of our fellow-men and women. My 

 work (I mean my scientific work) is of a very different cha- 

 racter, and has not, apparently, a direct moral bearing, how- 

 ever high its intellectual value. But I feel sure that the 

 single-minded pursuit of truth for its own sake, without a 

 thought of selfish aims, has its effect not only in raising the 

 character of the individual, but in elevating the moral standard 

 of the educated community ; and I am sure that I can trace 

 this in the greater earnestness, sincerity, and thoroughness of 

 the leading scientific men of my own standing, as compared 

 with many of those of the generation now passing away. I 

 do not think the same of mere intellectual acquirement ; though 

 even here the thoroughness on which our dear father used to 

 lay so much stress, is a valuable moral discipline. So, my 

 dear sister, let us, the eldest daughter and the eldest son, 

 bearing the name which we so much venerate, go on our 

 several ways ; carrying out each in her and his own way the 

 objects in which our dear parents would have felt so much 

 interest. 



It was highly characteristic of Dr. Carpenter at this 

 crisis that he placed the decision as to his scientific duty in 

 other hands. He felt that the fascination of the prospect 

 of devoting the rest of his life to original investigations for 

 which he believed himself specially qualified, might be- 

 come one of those " dominant ideas," the presence of which 

 he could so often detect in the conduct and dispositions of 

 others. He consulted those in whose wise judgment he 

 felt the fullest confidence, and he returned from the Medi- 

 terranean that autumn perfectly content to tread the 

 accustomed round. He never looked back. In all the 

 preparations for the Challenger Expedition he took an 

 active share, and he saw it depart without a pang. There 

 were still fresh interests to occupy his mind, and more 

 work for him to do at home. 



