Maria Mitchell: Life, Letters, and JournalsMitchell, Maria
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Maria Mitchell: Life, Letters, and Journals
Mitchell, Maria
Astronomers -- United States -- Biography; Mitchell, Maria, 1818-1889; Women astronomers -- United States -- Biography
"Mrs. Powell and the professor were of course standing near, and Mrs.
Admiral Smyth just behind. To my delight, I met four English persons
whom I knew, and also Prof. Henry B. Rogers, who is a great society man.
"People kept coming until the room was quite full. I was very glad to be
introduced to Professor Stokes, who is called the best mathematician in
England, and is a friend of Adams. He is very handsome--almost all
Englishmen are handsome, because they look healthy; but Professor Stokes
has fine black eyes and dark hair and good features. He looks very young
and innocent. Stokes is connected with Cambridge, but lives in London,
just as Professor Powell is connected with Oxford, but also lives in
London. Several gentlemen spoke to me without a special
introduction--one told me his name was Dr. Townby [Qy., Toynbie], and he
was a great admirer of Emerson--the first case of the sort I have met.
"Dr. Townby is a young man not over thirty, full of enthusiasm and
progress, like an American. He really seemed to me all alive, and is
either a genius or crazy--the shade between is so delicate that I can't
always tell to which a person belongs! I asked him if Babbage was in the
room, and he said, 'Not yet,' so I hoped he would come.
"He told me that a fine-looking, white-headed, good-featured old man was
Roget, of the 'Thesaurus;' and another old man in the corner was Dr.
Arnott, of the 'Elements of Physics.' I had supposed he was dead long
ago. Afterwards I was introduced to him. He is an old man, but not much
over sixty; his hair is white, but he is full of vigor, short and stout,
like almost all Englishmen and Englishwomen. I have met only two women
taller than myself, and most of them are very much shorter. Dr. Arnott
told me he was only now finishing the 'Elements,' which he first
published in 1827. He intends now to publish the more mathematical
portions with the other volumes. He was very sociable, and I told him he
had twenty years ago a great many readers in America. He said he
supposed he had more there than in England, and that he believed he had
made young men study science in many instances.
"I asked him if Babbage was in the room, and he too said, 'Not yet.' Dr.
Arnott asked me if I wore as many stockings when I was observing as the
Herschels--he said Sir William put on twelve pairs and Caroline
fourteen!
"I stayed until eleven o'clock, then I said 'Good-by,' and just as I
stepped upon the threshold of the drawing-room to go out, a broad old
man stepped upon it, and the servant announced 'Mr. Babbage,' and of
course that glimpse was all I shall ever have!
"Edinboro', September 30. The people of Edinboro', having a passion for
Grecian architecture, and being very proud of the Athenian character of
their city, seek to increase the resemblance by imitations of ancient
buildings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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