262 Notice of the late Dr. Waldo Irving Burnett. 
Such is an imperfect sketch of the scientific labors of our late 
associate. It only remains to consider his life from another point 
of view, in regard to its moral aspect. this I do not feel jus- 
tified in treating at length, as my relations to him were not sufli- 
ciently intimate to speak from personal observation ; but from all 
I can learn from his associates, from his fellow-students and his 
more intimate friends, he was a kind and affectionate son and 
brother, one who enjoyed to an unusual degree home and all its 
associations; he was a man of a truly benevolent heart, ito 
which irreverent thoughts seemed to gain no admission, or from 
which they certainly obtained no expression. In all of his stud- 
ies of nature he seems to have had a pervading perception of 
God in his works, and often in eloquent words gives expression 
to his feelings, when some new manifestation of divine wisdom 
was uncovered to his inquiring mind. 
Dr. Burnett’s zeal and devotion could not fail to awaken @ 
warm interest wherever he went, among those with whom he 
associated. He became acquainted with the leading naturalists 
of the country, and obtained from them and others, willing aid 
and counsel, as well as respect for his great acquirements. 4° 
them he always felt warm feelings of gratitude. But there was 
one, to whom, more than all others, he was especially grateful, a 
friend and relative, who at an early period, perceived the indica 
tions of uncommon promise for the future, and who with kind 
heart and benevolent purpose aided and encouraged him in all his 
undertakings. 
He had religious faith and religious hope. ‘To a speculative 
mind like his, it seemed almost a matter of necessity that the 
momentous questions which the problem of life involved, should 
sooner or later, have been presented for examination and discus 
sion, and that before any settled convictions could be reaches 
they should have found him perplexed and in donbt. Doubts 
and perplexities in his mind did exist, but eventually they gave 
way and were replaced by faith and hope, which lighten 7 
burden when, weary and exhausted, he approached the end o 
life. He had been long accustomed to look upon death and ' 
ri 
rd to 
victions. But there is one moment when, if ever on eart pent 
heart, if it.opens itself, does so without disguise, if it give rit 
ance, does so without reserve; it is that dread moment ¥ on 
death approaches so near that there is no alternative but to | 
upon earthly life as finished, its account made up, and f the 
that remains for the mind to dwell upon, is the dissolution © ce 
body and the realization of another life. A few days before 
