s, illustrious as the founder of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The rapid _crescendo_ of the fast world which surrounded us at this time
made sober people a little anxious lest the Newport season should
entirely evaporate into the shallow pursuit of amusement. This rampant
gayety offered little or nothing to the more thoughtful members of
society,--those who love to combine reasonable intercourse with work and
study.

[Illustration: THE HOME AT NEWPORT

_From a photograph by Briskham and Davidson._]

I felt the need of upholding the higher social ideals, and of not
leaving true culture unrepresented, even in a summer watering-place.
Professor Rogers entered very fully into these views. With his help a
simple plan of organization was effected, and a small governing board
was appointed. Colonel Higginson became our treasurer, Miss Juliet R.
Goodwin, granddaughter of Hon. Asher Robbins, was our secretary. Samuel
Powel, formerly of Philadelphia, a man much in love with natural
science, was one of our most valued members. Our membership was limited
to fifty. Our club fee was two dollars. Our meetings took place once in
ten days. At each meeting a lecture was given on some topic of history,
science, or general literature. Tea and conversation followed, and the
party usually broke up after a session of two hours. Colonel Higginson
once deigned to say that this club made it possible to be sensible even
at Newport and during the summer. The names of a few persons show what
we aimed at, and how far we succeeded. We had scientific lectures from
Professor Rogers, Professor Alexander Agassiz, Dr. Weir Mitchell, and
others. Maria Mitchell, professor of astronomy at Vassar College, gave
us a lecture on Saturn. Miss Kate Hillard spoke to us several times.
Professor Thomas Davidson unfolded for us the philosophy of Aristotle.
Rev. George E. Ellis gave us a lecture on the Indians of Rhode Island,
and another on Bishop Berkeley. Professor Bailey of Providence spoke on
insectivorous plants, and on one occasion we enjoyed in his company a
club picnic at Paradise, after which the wild flowers in that immediate
vicinity were gathered and explained. Colonel Higginson ministered to
our instruction and entertainment, and once unbent so far as to act with
me and some others in a set of charades. The historian George Bancroft
was one of our number, as was also Miss Anna Ticknor, founder of the
Society for the Encouragement of Stud