408 ELIZABETH CARY AGASSIZ 
pathies, rendering her at all moments alive to the 
interests of others as if they were her own, were 
guided and controlled by a discerning and wise judg- 
ment, and animated by a courageous spirit. To this 
combination, a hardly less rare quickness of appre- 
ciation of whatever is beautiful or interesting in life, 
was added. A lover of music: with a lively interest 
in literature: and with an enthusiastic but not ex- 
travagant admiration for all that is heroic and noble 
in human character, her soul was always open to 
the best influences which the world can exert. The 
last time I saw her — not many months ago in her 
sitting-room upstairs — she was seated with a read- 
ing-desk before her on which lay open two books re- 
lating to the recent discoveries in Mars. She spoke of 
them with vivacious interest and intelligence, and 
our talk ran on naturally from the wonders of astron- 
omy to the mysteries of the universe; mysteries 
which she confronted and accepted as simply as she 
had confronted and solved the problems of earthly 
life, 
‘ It is a great blessing for an institution, the life of 
which is to be measured by centuries, and which is 
as closely connected as Radcliffe with the highest in- 
terests of the community, to have for its founders men 
or women of such character as to make them contem- 
poraneous with each successive generation, and exem- 
plary from the possession of character such as all may 
imitate;’admirable and inspiring men and women yet 
not removed from the common lot by unusual bril- 
liancy of gift or marked superiority of intellectual 
