60 LOUIS AGASSIZ. [CHAT. xv. 



with his children ; while living there he was married, 

 and there also he entertained all his American and 

 European friends. 



The main difficulty that Mrs. Agassiz had to contend 

 with as soon as she entered the Oxford Street house was 

 to obtain a regular supply of money for daily household 

 expenses. At last she realized that it was almost hope- 

 less to expect a reform of Agassiz in this direction, and 

 she herself took the matter in hand. With the help of 

 the two oldest children, Alexander and Ida, she decided 

 to open a school for young ladies and girls, and to 

 locate it in the upper story of the great house in Ouincy 

 Street. Agassiz, whose strongest passion had always 

 been for teaching, was enchanted with the scheme, and 

 entered into it with great enthusiasm. 



Mrs. Agassiz had the whole management of the 

 school ; everything was referred to her, as director. 

 It is important to remark that she had had absolutely 

 no experience in teaching, either in a public or private 

 school. She had received her education from an English 

 governess in her family, and did not enjoy the advantage 

 of a school education bestowed upon almost all Ameri- 

 can girls. Nevertheless, she took the directorship of 

 Agassiz's school in a masterly way, and succeeded 

 admirably. She herself did not teach, but everything 

 regarding the teaching came under her supervision. 

 As the fees were high, the school was a very select 

 one ; and pupils came from different parts of the 

 United States, even from as far west as St. Louis. It 

 was considered a great privilege to be taught by such a 



