Tlie lale Mr. H. M. Jenkins. 
177 
It may be proper here to quote the testimony of Mr. Wells, 
Chairman of the Chemical Committee, illustrative as it is of 
this subject, and of the impression generally which Mr. Jenkins 
ultimately produced : — 
"I greatly regret," he saj-s, "that I cannot do justice m a short letter to 
the warm personal regard 1 had for ilr. Jenkins, or to the admiration I had 
for his talents and versatile powers of mind. Throughout the many years 
during which, as Chairman of one of our Committees, I had constant work to 
do with him as Secretarj', I do not remember a single occasion when he was 
at fault in giving information or advice required of him, or where such in- 
formation and advice did not turn out to be the best of its kind. His power 
of grasping new subjects was most remarkable, and I remember as an instance 
of it, being much impressed, at the time of the action against the Societj', 
tried at Leeds (1 think it was), with the rapidity with which he had mastered 
and could explain in legal phraseology and with the lucidity of a practised 
lawyer, all the points in the case. I should say his great power of organisa- 
tion was never better exemplified than when he acted with Lord Vernon's 
Committee for providing seed for the French peasants after the German war. 
Like so much of his other work, this, an atfair of a very laborious and intricate 
kind, was undertaken quite as a matter of course, though outside his proper 
business, and entailing hours of attendance and writing. He did not know 
what it was to spare himself, and I often wondered how, with his frail-looking 
form and frequent asthmatic attacks, he kept going at all. I think his 
travelling so much, though in one way fatiguing, may have procured hiui 
rest from brain work which he would otherwise have denied himself. I 
remember travelling with him from Calais to Paris on one occasion when he 
■was, for him, in good health, and he kept ail in the carriage, including three 
Frenchmen, laughing the whole way. I can understand that to some who 
were not acquainted with his manner, he miglxt have occasionally appeared 
abrupt, but he was in truth one of the kindest-natured men I ever met with ! 
and I have often wondered at the way his temper stood the questionings and 
crosses that beset him during the yearly Exhibitions. He has gone from 
among us much too soon, and has left none but friends behind." 
The conviction — not, however, perhaps, arrived at with 
certainty till some years after his appointment — may be referred 
to now, once for all — that the Society had obtained in him a 
Chief of the Staff, as he may be called, of extraordinary power. 
One other preliminary remark may be allowed as to his special 
ability as Editor. It was referred to by Sir Roderick ^lurchison 
in the testimonial which I have quoted. Mr. Carruthers also, 
the Botanical adviser of our Society, has spoken to me with great 
admiration of his care in reading MS. before sending it for 
publication ; and of his correction of style and phraseology, for 
which, as mentioned in the outset, he had a sort of instinct. 
"Deft," "adroit," "inoffensive," "often very slight but most 
effective" — I have heard all these adjectives applied to his 
work of this kind. The character of the ' Journal ' for the 
thoroughness, simplicity, and excellence of its English, has very 
much depended on its Editor. How much it owed originally 
in this respect to the guidance of Mr. Pusey is known by many 
VOL. XXIII. — S. S. N 
