72 MEMORIAL OF JOSEPH HENRY. 



late to choose. One result of due deliberation was that he rately 

 had to change his mind. AVhen he had taken his course, he held 

 to it. His patience and kindness under demands upon his time 

 were something wonderful. Some men are thus patient from easy 

 good-nature; Henry was so from principle. A noticeable part of 

 the Secretary's correspondence was with a class of men — more 

 numerous than would be supposed — who thought they had discov- 

 ered new laws of nature or new applications of them, and who 

 aj)pealed to him to make their discoveries known. The Secretary 

 never returned a curt answer to such appeals or inquiries, whether 

 made personally or by letter. Many are the hours which he would 

 conscientiously devote to such paradoxical schemes — sometimes of 

 wonderful ingenuity — rand to the dictation of elaborate replies to 

 them. l)ctc(!ting far down in the man's mind the g(!rms of tiie 

 fallacy which had misled him, he would spare no pains to present 

 it and its consequences so plainly to his besvildered correspondent 

 that he could find his own way out of it; while at the same time he 

 awarded credit and encouragement for whatever was true, probable, 

 or. ingenious. , 



Although of sensitive spirit and with a just sense of what was 

 due to himself, Professor Henry kept free from controversy. Once 

 he took ui) the pen, not because his discoveries were set at naught, 

 but because his veracity was impliedly assailed. His dignified 

 recitid of undeniable facts (in his Annual Report for 1857) was all 

 that was necessary, and not even a word of indignant comment was 

 added. 



He left his scientific work to form its part of the history of science 

 and to be judged by scientific men. The empiric he once senten- 

 tiously defined to be "one who appeals his cause to an incompetent 

 tribunal." He never courted publicity; not from fastidious dislike, 

 still less from disdain of well-earned popular applause, but simply 

 because he never thought of it. • 



