No. 601] 



CHARLES OTIS WHITMAN 



27 



seemed to be completely buried under a stupendous mass of iio2:ations, 

 blinding in one infinite negation— iVo Change. 



Perhaps something of Whitman's interesting and vivid 

 style may be referred to the influence of his teaching of 

 English in the high school; but much of it appears in 

 papers written before the Boston days. In them, too, 

 he frequently uses the rhetorical question so often found 

 in his later writings (cf. Fig. 14, upper). I think we 

 must conclude that this literary ability has a constitu- 

 tional basis. We have seen above that his cousins, chil- 

 dren of Harrison Whitman, ''early showed a remark- 

 able aptitude for composition both in prose and poetry." 

 A granddaughter of Chauncey Whitman, brother of 

 Charles's father, was an authoress of poetry, for which 

 she found a market. 



Pertinacity.— In AVhitman's combination of traits was 

 found an element of pertinacity that was at times very 

 formidable. Had it been less he could hardly have suc- 

 cessfully overcome the handicap of comparative poverty, 

 despite which he went through college. It showed itself 

 again when he insisted in Japan that his student's papers 

 should be published under their own names : and, when, 

 since he was overruled, he resigned his professorship. It 

 showed itself again in his struggle with a minority of the 

 trustees of the Biological Laboratory, in which his views 

 prevailed. It showed itself still again in his relations 

 with Clark University, which led to his acceptance of the 

 offer to go to Chicago. In minor departmental and labo- 

 ratory affairs, as his colleagues well recall, this gentle- 

 mannered man would show at times uncommon resistance 

 to suggestion and persuasion. One, therefore, learns with 

 interest that his father also was set in his opinions and 

 could not readily be made to change his views. Indeed, 

 Charles is seen to be an interesting mixture of gentleness, 

 as shown also by his mother, and tonnoity of purpose, as 

 shown also by his father, liis inotlior's f.-itlicr and other 

 members of the family. Closely akin to his insistence on 

 his ideals was his uncompi-oiii is !])<»• disjiosition. As Lillie 

 well remarks, 



It is questionable wlieflior liis life would have been so valuable, had 

 his disposition been more pliable. 



