little child in this family, "Who was the
greatest man that ever lived?" the answer would have come promptly,
"Herschel."

Maria very early learned the use of the sextant. The chronometers of all
the whale ships were brought to Mr. Mitchell, on their return from a
voyage, to be "rated," as it was called. For this purpose he used the
sextant, and the observations were made in the little back yard of the
Vestal-street home.

There was also a clumsy reflecting telescope made on the Herschelian
plan, but of very great simplicity, which was put up on fine nights in
the same back yard, when the neighbors used to flock in to look at the
moon. Afterwards Mr. Mitchell bought a small Dolland telescope, which
thereafter, as long as she lived, his daughter used for "sweeping"
purposes.

After their removal to the bank building there were added to these an
"altitude and azimuth circle," loaned to Mr. Mitchell by West Point
Academy, and two transit instruments. A little observatory for the use
of the first was placed on the roof of the bank building, and two small
buildings were erected in the yard for the transits. There was also a
much larger and finer telescope loaned by the Coast Survey, for which
service Mr. Mitchell made observations.

At the time when Maria Mitchell showed a decided taste for the study of
astronomy there was no school in the world where she could be taught
higher mathematics and astronomy. Harvard College, at that time, had no
telescope better than the one which her father was using, and no
observatory except the little octagonal projection to the old mansion in
Cambridge occupied by the late Dr. A.P. Peabody.

However, every one will admit that no school nor institution is better
for a child than the home, with an enthusiastic parent for a teacher.

At the time of the annular eclipse of the sun in 1831 the totality was
central at Nantucket. The window was taken out of the parlor on Vestal
street, the telescope, the little Dolland, mounted in front of it, and
with Maria by his side counting the seconds the father observed the
eclipse. Maria was then twelve years old.

At sixteen Miss Mitchell left Mr. Peirce's school as a pupil, but was
retained as assistant teacher; she soon relinquished that position and
opened a private school on Traders' Lane. This school too she gave up
for the position of librarian of the Nantucket Atheneum, which office
she held for nearly twenty years.

This library was open