Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-03-04
N WHO GREW OLD BEAUTIFULLY.

a whole must be unusually large.
ONE WHO GREW OLD BEAUTIFULLY.
Some men are like a prism; you can
see all the beauties of their character.
looking at them from one Of several
sides, Other men have many sides and
you must gaze at them from each one
of those sides if you would "behold the
man That Professor Goodrich was a
many-sided man is shown by the fact
that after all is said of his manifold
beauties Of character, the half will not
be told.
Those who heard Professor Emerson's
matchless funeral Grafton over the casket
Of his co-worker-a tribute that was the
more classical through the very Sim
plicity and unstudied eloauence Of It's
delivery-learned anew Of this venerable
petriarch's varied fields Of action and
manifold services to humanity and the
influences his students would reproduce
throughout the world and help perpe-
tuatc wherever they might be.
In the more extended study and anaIy-
sis Of Professor Goodrich as the quiet
and humble scholar and enthusiastic
Christian. the Rev Dr.. Smart Yesterday
in the course Of his sermon brought out
other sides of that grand mans charac-
ter. which appeal to all men-his indie
pendence of thought born VI his intense
desire to know for himself; the courage
with which he stood for his convictione;
his u~ntiring devotion to the university,
much of which he saw in his eighty-four
years. and no small part Of which he
was: the intense patriotism generated in
the Civil War and revived in ever re-
kindling fervor whenever gatherings or
the Loyal Legion and other veteran as
sociations renewed the memories of those
DAYS of heroism: hia advanced thought
as an ardent student as we'll as an en-
thusiastic believer in Christianity; his
keen appreciation Of the mercies Of God
in the mellow ripeness of his autumn
days. These and other splendid qualities
and beauties Of character were unfolded
as worthy Of emulation.
There were still other sides to Profess
sor Goodrich's character less manifest
to the general public, but which helped
him, as is permitted to few men, to
"grow old beautifully" It was the privi-
lege of the writer while yet a young
newspaper worker to come under the
gracious influence # this rare man, ana
for years and years and even until the
last sickness which cut him down it was
Professor Goodrich's custom to send in
to the office little notes signed "G..'
calling attention to any policy he might
favor or any remissness he detected. lie
often commented on the speed with
which matter fer a daily paper must
be prepared, with the CONSEQUENT dihi-
Guilty of correctness, realizing that at
is being put in type while the finish is
being put on paper, yet his fastidious
taste as a literary student and his keer
demand for accuracy and color and the
USE ~ tH' iiNHN ~ ~ w - f
forced him to note part Of the frequent
and inevitable violations Of the literary
law in n daily newspaper office. Every
body in the editorial department knew
his clear, vigorous handwriting and his
communications ware always "privi
legged
In this way we came to know AZ prob
ably few know Of the extent to which
Professor Goodrich despite his eighty
four years kept in close touch with thu
affairs of no. only the present age bu'
ot the very day itself. Instead Of beinf
eighty-four years old, he was as ha:
been well said. "eiChty-four year.
young" Whether discussing the lates
Development of the war, or as presiden
Of tine human society pursuing some OF
fender who had abused a dumb animal
or as an eager antiquarian seeking som'
ancient tome or rare hook for the univer
sity library TO which he remained de
voted to the end, or hunting some "du
ficate" for a friend, or enjoying "itl
unabated relish the music OF some maste
he loved. or writing an appeal to tn
public through The press in behalf o
some worthy cause, or paying tribute t.
a departed friend, or in pursuing his re
searches and Investigations in tn
auietude of his study he maintained t.
the very end u~nfiagging interest in tn
great activities of this busy, hustlin'
world.
Surely If ever a mar lived of whom
it can be said, the good that men d.
lives after Them it can be said of thi
grand Vermont patriarch, who com
bined to a noteworthy degree the en-
1ovments Of the literary devotee ant
the ripe scholar. the sacrifices OF tn
patriot, the labors Of the good citizen an
the solace and the service OF the tru'
Christian.