Page:The Whitney Memorial Meeting.djvu/76

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THE WHITNEY MEMORIAL MEETING.

editorial supervision of the Century Dictionary, in the delivery of lectures at Boston, Washington, Baltimore, and elsewhere,—all this work, performed without hurry, and for the most part without nervous irritation or undue fatigue, seemed to be the consequence, not so much of unusual facility, as of extraordinary industry, and still more extraordinary economy in the direction of his intellectual resources. All his efforts told. They were not often wasted upon the trivial. Hence the permanence of their value.

I shall not attempt to say, in this public place, what he was as a son, a brother, a husband, a father. The bereavement of his family is too recent and too sacred for us to dwell upon. But I may say what he was as neighbor, colleague, citizen, friend. In these relations he was exemplary. He participated in discussions of educational methods, and in plans for the enlargement and advancement of university courses. The duties of a patriot in the upholding of good government were never slighted. He was outspoken in his comments upon public affairs. He lent a hand to the promotion of the general welfare. He took an open though not an active part in politics. Among those who lived near him, he was sympathetic in trouble; in perplexities he was wise. In the welfare and preferment of his pupils, associates, and correspondents he was always interested.

The essential honesty of his nature is, after all, its crowning excellence. This underlies the accuracy of his knowledge, the certainty of his judgments, the fearless utterance of his opinions. Truth, with him, was an