f them."

In February 1828, the great services which this high-souled woman had
rendered to astronomical science were fitly rewarded by the presentation
to her of the Royal Astronomical Society's gold medal,--the greatest
honour which an astronomer can receive.

Mr. South, himself an astronomer of deserved repute, was charged with
the duty of presenting the medal; and in the course of his address he
dwelt on the labours of her brother, and the share she had had in them.

Sir William's first catalogue of new nebulae and clusters of stars, he
said, amounting in number to one thousand, was compiled with
observations made from a twenty-foot reflector in the years 1783, 1784,
and 1785. By the same instrument he was enabled to discover the
positions of a second thousand of these distant worlds in 1785 to 1788;
while the places of five hundred others were registered on the celestial
map between 1788 and 1802. What, we may ask, were the discoveries of
Columbus compared with these? He revealed to Europe the existence of
only a single continent; Herschel unfolded to man the mysteries of the
depths of the heavens.

But, continued Mr. South, when we have thus enumerated the results
obtained in the course of "sweeps" with this instrument, and taken into
consideration the extent and variety of the other observations which
were at the same time in progress, a most important part yet remains
untold. Who participated in his toils? Who braved with him all the
experiences of inclement weather? Who shared, and consoled him in, his
privations? A woman. And who was she? His sister. Miss Herschel it was
who by night acted as his amanuensis; she it was whose pen conveyed to
paper his observations as they issued from his lips; she it was who
noted the various aspects and phenomena of the objects observed; she it
was who, after spending the still night beside the wonder-exhibiting
instrument, carried the rough, blurred manuscripts to her cottage at
daybreak, and by the morning produced a clean copy and register of the
night's achievements; she it was who planned the labour of each
succeeding night; she it was who reduced into exact form every
calculation; she it was who arranged the whole in systematic order; and
she it was who largely assisted her illustrious brother to obtain his
imperishable renown.

Miss Herschel's claims to the gratitude of men of science, and to the
admiration of all who can appreciate the beauty of self-sacrifice, di