ThevisittoMr。Carnegiehelpedtogiveanewcurrenttomythoughts。Theattractionsofhiswonderfuldomainfortythousandacres，witheveryvarietyofscenery，——ocean，forest，moor，andmountain，——thehouseholdwithitsquaintScotchusages——thepiperinfulltartansolemnlygoinghisroundsatdawn，andthemusicoftheorganswelling，morningandevening，throughthecastlefromthegreathall——allhelpedtogivemenewstrength。Therewasalsogoodcompany:FredericHarrison，thoughtfulandbrilliant，whomIhadbeforeknownonlybyhisbooksandabriefcorrespondence;ArchdeaconSinclairofLondon，worthy，byhisscholarlyaccomplishments，ofhisdescentfromthefriendofWashington;andotherswhodidmuchtoaidourhostsinmakinglifeatthecastlebeautiful。GoingthencetoAmerica，Ifoundtimetocooperatewithmyoldfriend，PresidentGilman，insecuringdataforMr。Carnegie，especiallyatWashington，inviewofhisplanofanationalinstitutionforthehigherscientificresearch。
Itwasasadhome—coming;buttheseoccupationsandespeciallyavisittoNewHavenatthebicentennialcelebrationofYaleaidedtocheerme。Thislastwasindeedanoteworthycommemoration。
Therehadcometome，inconnectionwithit，perhapsthegreatesthonorofmylife:aninvitationtodeliveroneofthemainaddresses;butithadbeenreceivedatthetimeofmydeepestdepression，andIhaddeclinedit，butwithnolessgratitudethattheauthoritiesofmyAlmaMaterhadthoughtmeworthyofthatservice。Insodoing，Isacrificedmuch;fortherewasonesubjectwhich，underothercircumstances，Iwouldgladlyhavedevelopedatsuchatimeandbeforesuchanaudience。ButasI
listenedtotheadmirableaddressgivenbymyoldcollegemate，Mr。JusticeBrewer，whenthehonorsoftheuniversitywereconferreduponthePresident，theSecretaryofState，andsomanydistinguishedrepresentativesfromallpartsoftheworld，itwasasatisfactiontome，afterall，thatIcouldenjoyitquietly，withnosenseofresponsibility，andcould，indeed，restandbethankful。
Astomyownpersonalhistory，therecameatthistimeaneventwhichcouldnotbutpleaseme:theRoyalAcademyofSciencesatBerlinchosemeasoneofitsforeignhonorarymembers。ItwasatributeofthesortforwhichIcaredmost，especiallybecauseitbroughtmeintocloserrelationswithleadersinscienceandliteraturewhomIhadsolongadmired。