460 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



with his son Louis, it will be the height of his 

 happiness." To Agassiz his presence in the 

 house was a benediction. He looked after the 

 expenses, and acted as commissary in chief 

 to the colony. Obliged, as Agassiz was, fre- 

 quently to be absent on lecturing tours, he 

 could, with perfect security, intrust the charge 

 of everything connected with the household 

 to his old friend, from whom he w r as always 

 sure of an affectionate welcome on his return. 

 In short, so far as an old man could, " papa 

 Christinat," as he was universally called in 

 this miscellaneous family, strove to make good 

 to him the absence of wife and children. 



The make-up of the settlement was some- 

 what anomalous. The house, though not 

 large, was sufficiently roomy, and soon after 

 Agassiz was established there he had the 

 pleasure of receiving under his roof certain 

 friends and former colleagues, driven from 

 their moorings in Europe by the same disturb- 

 ances which had prevented him from return- 

 ing there. The arrival among them of Mr. 

 Guyot, with whom his personal and scientific 

 intimacy was of such long standing, was a 

 great happiness. It was especially a blessing 

 at this time, for troubles at home weighed 

 upon Agassiz and depressed him. His wife, 



