He could not positively
say whether it was true or not. The facts were simply that he had
the watch, that he had walked on the seashore, had skipped stones,
missed the watch at some subsequent time, and never saw it again.

More definite was an observation made on his movements one afternoon
by a looker-out from a window of the Nautical Almanac Office.
Across the way the road was bounded by no fence, simply passing
along the side of an open field. As Oliver got near the office,
his chin on his breast, deep in thought, he was seen gradually to
deviate from the sidewalk, and direct his steps along the field.
He continued on this erratic course until he ran almost against the
fence at the other end. This awoke him from his reverie, and he
started up, looked around, and made his way back to the road.

I have spoken only of the men who were employed at the office at
the time I entered. Previous to my time were several who left to
accept professorships in various parts of the country. Among them
were Professors Van Vleck, of Middletown, and Hedrick and Kerr, of
North Carolina. Not desiring to leave upon the mind of the reader the
impression that all of whom I have not spoken remained in obscurity,
I will remark that Mr. Isaac Bradford rose to the position of mayor
of the city of Cambridge, and that fugitive pieces in prose and
poetry by Mr. E. J. Loomis were collected in a volume. [2]

The discipline of the public service was less rigid in the office
at that time than at any government institution I ever heard of.
In theory there was an understanding that each assistant was
"expected" to be in the office five hours a day. The hours might be
selected by himself, and they generally extended from nine until two,
the latter being at that time the college and family dinner hour.
As a matter of fact, however, the work was done pretty much where
and when the assistant chose, all that was really necessary being
to have it done on time.

It will be seen that the excellent opportunities offered by this
system were well improved by those who enjoyed them--improved in a way
that I fear would not be possible in any other surroundings. I took
advantage of them by enrolling myself as a student of mathematics in
the Lawrence Scientific School. On this occasion I well remember
my pleasant reception by Charles W. Eliot, tutor in mathematics,
and E. N. Horsford, professor of chemistry, and, I believe, dean of
the school. As a ne