New-York tribune., 1893-12-29
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SELECTIONS FROM ASA GRAY'S COl'RE-
SPONDEECE.

LETTERS OF ASA GRAY Edited By By Jane kSrins as9rEs
Houghton Mfiiin & Co.
Dr Gray was so absorbed in his work as
botai ist that this collection OF extracts from HIS
letters can interest the unscentlhc reader ohiy mere
and there on the other hand. some kho"Ieuse oi
botany Is so common that these volumes can hai"S
fall into the hands of totally unable 10 uhuer-
stand them And there episodes In the career
OF Dr. Gray and in his mental life whch eve"
the unscentifc man, If intelligent might "i9h ~
study The letters as edited by Mrs Gray sho"
that from the outset after he had fairly begun
his education. his wishes turned toward the stnhy
IN which he spent his life not, however without
earlier passions for mineralogy and chemistry we
find him poring the pages OF Eaton MANUAL
of Botany" in mdwnter when there was haruV d
green thing in sight and the young studen'-ase"
sevcnteen--was 'out of all reach either OF green
house or A potted plant He waited win Wn"'
patience he could for spring. Il sailed iorth, ne
adds. zone April day into the bare WOODS iouha
an early specimen Of a plant IN ho"er PV'Pi's
through dead leaves brought II home ana win
I,aton's Manual. without much difficulty ran II
down 70 its name. Claytonia Nirginica.' This was
the beginning of travels collections ana
that were rarely interrupted. BY the time ne NtS
.wenty-three years of age he had begun the publ
cation of his first work. North American "IaH"
neae and Cyperaceae." His letters from 'he very
ers. show a mature mind. There are almost no
flashes of youthful rhetoric; he was TOO intent o'
the purpose of his life for such eXcursiohs' "e
groaned in spirit after passing lhious" q" "
college lest he should have to practise his profession
under circumstances that would prevent him from
having attention to natural history If he couio not
work at botany he glad to work at miheraios!
and he was addicted to geology. collecting loSSi9
as extensively as possible when the surroundings
favored him. On his numerous Journeys 10 f'urope
his time largely taken up IN herDarlunlS @ alu
gardens and libraries. His nervous acuNlE "'
such that he saw much outside ol 'ie 'i'''s' 40
Nhich he most interested. ,
His travels procured him a long array OF lrlehus
In the Old World and gave him such an anec'i''
xor England that he was looked upon as rather uh-
American He complained that ms PATRIOTISM was
doubted in Boston and at Harvard CoHege' "me'e
he became a professor in lS42 But the o'N" wa
ended all that While still retained his friendship
for English men of science he was sharp cruz
of English conduct toward the United States, NANNY
IN private letters to his acquaintances in Engiahu
nv that time he had become a familiar correspond
ent with Charles Darwin. Aside from the uiscusSi'h
of scientific questions his letters were lu' u oo
ments on the progress of the war lie was as
snred from the first that the North would be sue
cessful and that the Union would be preserved
but he was hardly ready for emancipation as d POM
acal move even when 1t was made only MS COM
pete trust in Lincoln led him to think that the
president knew best. Gray, conservative IN every
ching hut scientific inquiry seems to have had an
early dread of agitation the subject OF slavery
For example, in the effort 10 choose whlch oi two
religious papers would send 10 his father IN lo''
ne decided against his faVorlte because t"e N"'0'
filled it up TOO much with anti-savery. But lie
was as joyful the majority OF his 'couh'l!'"e"
were when slavery was abolished
His confidential footing with Darwin was due
largely TO the fact that he appreciated ana auNo
Gated the doctrine of Natural Selection. He pointed
mt with glee that Darwins strongest opponent III
England owen really had a derivation theory OF
mis- own He also emphasized the aspect OF oar
svinsm which the author of Il tried not TO see.
II was natural that an orthodox Presbyterian IKE
GRAY should see the theological value or Darwin
S,ews He would not let MS frienu forget the mat
Cor Once he wrote: you ask me If ii is not I'M
,,ossible 10 imagine so many and nice coadaptations
as we see in orchids being formed by chance
hlou, | turn the question back upon YOU
Is not the fact that the coadaptatons are SO nice
next to a demonstration against their having peei
formed by chance blows at all, one or many mere
lies I suppose the difference between u.s. Nhen you
bring me ND to this point, feel the cold chill.
Dean Church. another of Dr. Grays intimate i'le""s
IN England remarked in letter to Mrs. Gray
,hat the seriousness and earnest conviction with
which the Doctor let his religious views be known
,had most wholesome effect upon the development
of the great scientific theory in which he was 50
much interested
DR. GRAY never kept a journal for any long period
Sf time A brief autobiography covering only ms
iearer wears forms the introduction TO the letters
in these volumes. Few of the letters are given IN
FULL because almost all contained matter purely
scientific OF his first European tour he kept a
Hournal As for the rest, Mrs. Gray has managed
admirably to introduce biographical details by
. passages here and there which explain certain
y rroups of letters The volumes illustrated,
among other pictures being several portraits Of DR..
Gray