530 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



This school opened in 1855 and closed in 

 1863. The civil war then engrossed all 

 thoughts, and interfered somewhat also with 

 the success of private undertakings. Partly 

 on this account, partly also because it had 

 ceased to be a pecuniary necessity, it seemed 

 wise to give up the school at this time. The 

 friendly relations formed there did not, how- 

 ever, cease with it. For years afterward on 

 the last Thursday of June (the day of the 

 annual closing of the school) a meeting of 

 the old pupils was held at the Museum, which 

 did not exist when the school began, but was 

 fully established before its close. There Agas- 

 siz showed them the progress of his scientific 

 work, told them of his future plans for the in- 

 stitution, and closed with a lecture such as he 

 used to give them in their school-days. The 

 last of these meetings took place in 1873, the 

 last year of his own life. The memory of it 

 is connected with a gift to the Museum of 

 four thousand and fifty dollars from a num- 

 ber of the scholars, now no longer girls, but 

 women with their own cares and responsibil- 

 ities. Hearing that there was especial need of 

 means for the care of the more recent collec- 

 tions, they had subscribed this sum among 

 themselves to express their affection for their 



