was printed in "Hours
at Home" for September, 1869. Her records were published in Professor
Coffin's report, as she was a member of his party.

"Sept. 26, 1871. My classes came in to-day for the first time;
twenty-five students--more than ever before; fine, splendid-looking
girls. I felt almost frightened at the responsibility which came into my
hands--of the possible _twist_ which I might give them.

"1871. I never look upon the mass of girls going into our dining-room or
chapel without feeling their nobility, the sovereignty of their pure
spirit."

The following letter from Miss Mitchell, though written at a later date,
gives an idea of the practical observing done by her classes:

MY DEAR MISS ----: I reply to your questions concerning the
observatory which you propose to establish. And, first, let me
congratulate you that you begin _small_. A large telescope is a
great luxury, but it is an enormous expense, and not at all
necessary for teaching.... My beginning class uses only a small
portable equatorial. It stands out-doors from 7 A.M. to 9 P.M.
The girls are encouraged to use it: they are expected to
determine the rotation of the sun on its axis by watching the
spots--the same for the planet Jupiter; they determine the
revolution of Titan by watching its motions, the retrograde and
direct motion of the planets among the stars, the position of
the sun with reference to its setting in winter and summer, the
phases of Venus. All their book learning in astronomy should be
mathematical. The astronomy which is not mathematical is what is
so ludicrously called "Geography of the Heavens"--is not
astronomy at all.

My senior class, generally small, say six, is received as a
class, but in practical astronomy each girl is taught
separately. I believe in _small_ classes. I instruct them
separately, first in the use of the meridian instrument, and
next in that of the equatorial. They obtain the time for the
college by meridian passage of stars; they use the equatorial
just as far as they can do with very insufficient mechanism. We
work wholly on planets, and they are taught to find a planet at
any hour of the day, to make drawings of what they see, and to
determine positions of planets and satellites. With the clock
and chronograph they determine difference of right ascension of
objects by the electric mode of