1852-55-] SCHOOL FOR GIRLS. 61 



naturalist as Agassiz, and all the girls whose parents 

 could afford it were anxious to join the school. 



Of course the great attraction was Agassiz, who lec- 

 tured every day of the week, except Saturday. The 

 girls' parents often came with them, and sat down in 

 the schoolroom to listen to the lectures, which were so 

 clear and so entertaining, that every one followed, with 

 the greatest attention, the subjects brought up by their 

 great teacher, however difficult they might be. But it 

 must be said that, although the school continued eight 

 years, and the number of pupils who passed through 

 it was quite large, --about five hundred, --not a single 

 one of them became a naturalist, or even an " amateur " 

 in natural history. The only female pupil Agassiz 

 made in all his life was his second wife ; and even she 

 gave up her studies in this line after his death, show- 

 ing that it was not through inclination and special taste 

 that she had become a naturalist, but only through her 

 husband's inspiration. 



The money brought in by the school was a great 

 help and a great relief. As Mrs. Agassiz says, " He 

 was never again involved in the pecuniary anxieties of 

 his earlier career." * However,' it must not be supposed 

 that from the day he opened his school for girls he 

 had no further money difficulties. It was impossible 

 for a man of his nature to keep free from such diffi- 

 culties. As long as he lived, he was constantly hunt- 

 ing after a dollar to pay some expense he had already 

 incurred. 



1 " Louis Agassiz," by Mrs. E. C. Agassiz, Vol. II., p. 527. 



