346 Asa Gray: HU Life and Work. 



it, he agrees with her that this conclusion is unworthy 

 " nay more, dejjlorable." Then follows these brief,, vivid 

 words : " Through what faults or infirmities of dogmatism 

 on the one hand and skepticism on the other it came to be 

 so thought, we need not here consider. Let us hope, and I 

 confidently expect, that it is not to last ; that the religious 

 faith which survived without a shock the notion of the 

 fixity of the earth itself, may equally outlast tlie notion of 

 the fixity of the species which inhabit it ; that in the 

 future even more than in the past faith in an order whicli 

 is the basis of science will not as it cannot reasonably 

 be dissevered from faith in an Ordainer, which is the basis 

 of religion." 



In 1876 Dr. Gray brought together his various papers on 

 Evolution and kindred subjects, which had appeared in the 

 American Journal of Science, the Nation, and the Atlantic 

 Mo7ithly, and published them in a book, under the title of 

 "Darwiniana." In the preface to this book he defines his 

 religious belief in a short, clear passage, where it stands to 

 remind us that one of the greatest men of the age found 

 no difficulty in harmonizing the "new thought," or Evolu- 

 tion, with Christianity : " 1 am scientifically and in my 

 own fashion a Darwinian, philosophically a convinced 

 theist, and religiously an acceptor of the creed commonly 

 called the Nicene, as the exponent of the Christian faith." 



His contributions to Evolution, and his views on the 

 subject, are better known to the world at large than "his 

 rank and position as a teacher of natviral science." He 

 was a born teacher. He drew students to him by his 

 kindly, genial nature. His interest in their work was a 

 remarkable trait in his character. His correspondents felt 

 his friendly influence permeating their lives, giving them 

 fresh impulse and inspiration in their work. Even students 

 whom he had never met were cordially and most heartily 

 given any assistance in his power, in the way of suggestion 

 and even in mapjjing out methods of work for them to 

 follow. During all the years of his busy life, helpful, 

 suggestive letters Avere written with his own hand, encour- 

 aging stud-^nts to go on with their work and publish its 

 results. But for him, the work of many a botanical 

 student Avould never have been known. 



Having access to some of his letters to a correspondent, 

 I have been looking them over with a view to giving a few 



