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A Reminiscence of Maria Mitchell edited by Emilia Pisani Belserene, Director Maria Mitchell Observatory ONE OF THE scrapbooks in the Maria Mitchell Library contains a long letter about Maria Mitchell, written shortly after her death1. The writer was Graceanna Lewis, best known today for her extensive ac tivities on behalf of abolition. In her own time she was perhaps better known as a scientist and lecturer on natural history. Miss Mitchell has been called America's second woman scientist2. Miss Lewis deserves the place of third. What she had to say about her distinguished friend deserves attention because she was in a unique position to appreciate the special qualities and influence of this famous daughter of Nantucket. Media, Delaware Co. Penn, Aug. 18, 1889 Joseph Swain, Dear Cousin: In reply to thy note of the 15 inst. my first thought was that my memory was too full of material for a paper intended for one reading. Were I to be brief, I should have to omit details; and every thing, however slight, connected with the distinguished woman, thee queries after, is of interest. I first saw Maria Mitchell about the year 1874, at Vassar College, whither I had gone to deliver a course of three lectures, by the invitation of President Ray mond. I was there about a week I think, and saw her every day at the table. In addition to this, President Raymond gave a special dinner to which she was of course invited, and she gave a tea in her own apart ments at the Observatory. Maria Mitchell was Professor of Astronomy at Vassar and Director of the Observatory from 1865 to 1888. She came to this post at the age of 47 after having first won fame by her discovery of a comet with a small telescope on the roof of the Pacific Bank on Nantucket. She was not college-trained herself but had been introduced to astronomy by her self-taught father, William Mitchell, and had continued her education on her own while she was librarian at the Nantucket Atheneum. The letter continues: After my return, I wrote an article entitled "A Day with Maria Mitchell." I am sorry I have no copy of that ar ticle, or that if I have it is packed away in some place now inaccessible to me. As you must have seen photographs of her, I will not describe her personal ap-
