BRA UN TO HIS MOTHER. 27 



speaks German and French equally well, Eng- 

 lish and Italian fairly, so that I have already 

 appointed him to be my interpreter on some 

 future vacation trip to Italy. He is well ac- 

 quainted with ancient languages also, and 

 studies medicine besides. . . . 



A few lines from Braun to his mother, 

 several weeks later, show that this first en- 

 thusiasm, poured out with half-laughing ex- 

 travagance to his father, was ripening into 

 friendship of a more serious character. 



BRAUN TO HIS MOTHER. 



HEIDELBERG, June 1, 1826, 



... I am very happy now that I have 

 found some one whose occupations are the 

 same as mine. Before Agassiz came I was 

 obliged to make my excursions almost always 

 alone, and to study in hermit-like isolation. 

 After all, two people working together can 

 accomplish far more than either one can do 

 alone. In order, for instance, to utilize the 

 interval spent in the time-consuming and me- 

 chanical work of preparing specimens, pin- 

 ning insects and the like, we have agreed 

 that while one is so employed the other shall 

 read aloud. In this way we shall go through 



