324 A DECADE OF WORK AT HOME.  [1844, 
good-nature. He was the cheeriest of household com- 
panions ; rarely was he depressed, only indeed when 
greatly fagged with some tremendous pressure of work 
or some worrying trouble difficult to settle; he was 
exceedingly hopeful, and always carried with him a 
happy assurance that everything was going on well in 
his absence ; withal, he was fearless in ge adventure, 
never willing to allow there had been any danger 
when it had passed! He was fond of arguing, but 
no partisan, so that however earnest and dogmatic 
he might seem, the moment the discussion was over 
there was no trace of bitterness or vexation left. He 
was a clear and close reasoner himself, and thus im- 
patient of defective reasoning or a confused statement 
in others. He was quick, too, in turning his opponents’ 
weapons against them; sometimes he would escape 
from a dilemma in a merry, plausible form, but in 
serious argument he always insisted upon downright 
sincerity. 
TO W. J. HOOKER. 
April 1, 1844. 
I finish my course of Lowell lectures this week, 
which have succeeded beyond my most sanguine ex- 
pectations. I have restricted myself to physiological 
botany only, — taken up only great leading views, — 
used very large paintings for illustrations, six to eight 
feet high, which the great size of the room required, 
and then have given to sound scientific views a gen- 
eral popular interest. 
TO JOHN TORREY. 
CAMBRIDGE, May 24, 1844. 
I have been using Dr. Wyman’s microscope of 
late, and it works well. By the way, I have been 
