Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-11-18
THE SHOEMAKER BoTANIsT.

The Christian Union prints, in a recent
issue. an interesting article from Prof
Chckerng under the title "Back doors to
science" in which he recalls the career Of
the late Charles c. Frost, so familiar to
our older BrattleborO readers. Years ago
in Brattleboro, the writer says. "among
the green hills Of Vermont, lived a man
who was worthiy earning his living as a
shoemaker He was fairly successful in
business point of view. but when he had
reached the age of 80 or 40 years his
health gave way. Going to New York to
consult an eminent physician, he was
shown into an ante-rOOm, and was looking
at some plants In the window when the
doctor came in. Examining the case care
fully the wise physician said You do not
need medicine; what you want is outdoor
exercise and mental employment ] saw
YOU looking at the flowers in the window.
Are you interested in botany The shoe
maker replied that he knew nothing about
botany. but had always been fond Of flow
ers. Well said the doctor go home,
and every day this summer 60 out into the
woods and fields and gather one flower,
bring 1t home and find out the name Of it,
''He at first felt little as Naaman did
at prescription of washing in the river
Jordan, but finally, like Naaman, took his
prescription and began the study of bot
any. Soon he became deeply interested,
and in two or three seasons had collected
nearly all the towering plants Of that vi
cinity Having his attention called to
MOSES, he wrote DR.. Gray, asking for some
text book upon the subject. This being
ing before the day Of Gray's Manual-that
model of what text book should be-the
only work DR.. Gray had to recommend
was in German.
Nothing daunted, the shoemaker
bought an 'Ollendorff. and soon learned
German enough to read his text book.
Awhile after. a French book on that sub
iect coming in his way, he studied French
until he could manage its contents. and
then took up Latin and Greek sufficiently
to be able to trace the derivation of botan-
/ ical names At last. having fairly mas
tered the more common divisions of the
vegetable kingdom. he began the study of
/ fungi, and there, as he told a friend. he
/ had found a work to last him a lifetime.
| This necessitated the purchase of more
/ books. and finally, of a Beck's microscope.
/ And for years he could be seen every day
/ in his shop, on one side of his lapstone,
/ his bench and implements Of his daily la
/ bor. and on the other library OF botanical
works in three or four languages and on
the shelf over his head his beautiful mi
/ croscOpe.
"And thus he spent the evening of hi,
DAYS until death a genial. cultivated, in
telligent, Christian Observation-Disclosures
! In reply TO a question as to the amount
of time he had devoted to his studies. he
said: Always an hour day, and as much
more as possible. Such was the record o.
Charles c. Frost, a man whom il was ;
privilege to have as friend.
Mr.. Frost's herbarium. one of the mos
extensive and valuable in the country, GU
readers will remember. is now a part o
the natural history collection in the public
library, where it was placed upwards of I
wear ago through the kindness of his son
Wells ). Frost In The Phoenix of Nov
20. 1891, an article on this collection wa
printed, from the pen of StorrOw Higgin
son. who spent several weeks here in ar
ranging it,