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was brought to land life was extinct. Within an hour and a-half of 

 his leaving her, Mrs. Jevons' heard of her husband's death. His 

 clothes and the unused towel were found lying on the shore. 



Jevons was a man as remarkable for modesty of character and 

 generous appreciation of ithe labours of others as for unwearied 

 industry, devotion to work of the highest and purest kind, and 

 thorough independence and originality of thought. The bequest 

 which he has left to the world is not represented solely by the results 

 of his intellectual toil, widely as these are appreciated not only in 

 England but also in America and on the Continent of Europe. A pure 

 and lofty character is more precious than any achievements in the 

 field of knowledge ; and though its influences are not so easy to trace, 

 it is often more powerful in the inspiration which it breathes than 

 the literary or scientific productions of the man. " That Professor 

 Jevons will be missed," writes the editor of the " Spectator," " as one 

 of the profoundest thinkers of our time on the philosophy of science, 

 no one who knows anything of his writings will doubt. Yet he had 

 other qualities, not always found in men of science, which made his 

 character as unique as his intellect. At once shy and genial, and full 

 of the appreciation of the humour of human life, eager as he was in 

 his solitary studies, he enjoyed nothing so much as to find himself 

 thawing in the lively companionship of intimate friends. Something 

 of a recluse in temperament, his generous and tender nature rebelled 

 against the seclusion into which his studies and his not unfrequent 

 dyspepsia drove him. His hearty laugh was something unique in 

 itself, and made every one the happier who heard it. His humble 

 estimate of himself and his doubts of his power of inspiring affection, 

 or even strong friendship, were singularly remarkable, when contrasted 

 with the great courage which he had of his opinions ; nevertheless, 

 his dependence on human ties for his happiness was as complete as 

 the love he felt for his chosen friends was strong and faithful. More- 

 over, there was a deep religious feeling at the bottom of his nature, 

 which made the materialistic tone of the day as alien to him as 

 all true science, whether on material, or on intellectual, or on spiritual 

 themes, was unaffectedly dear to him." It. H. 



Friedrtch Wohler was born on July 31, 1800, in the village of 

 Escherheim, near Frankfort-on-the-Main, in the house of the pastor 

 of that place, a brother-in-law of his mother. He received his first 

 instruction in reading, writing, and arithmetic from his father ; he 

 went afterwards to the ordinary school, and later on he took private 

 lessons in Latin and French, as well as in music. 



Wohler early showed a taste for experimenting and collecting, in 

 which he was helped and encouraged both by his father and by his 

 father's friend, Hofrath Wichterich, who took great interest in 



