HOME LIFE AND EARLY TRAINING 7 



taking, always on the same road from Arbois to 

 Besangon, after he had attired himself in his best 

 clothes decorated with the white ribbon of the cross 

 of the Legion of Honor. 



In the college of Arbois Louis Pasteur awakened 

 the interest of the head master, M. Romanet, who 

 devoted especial attention to training the mind of 

 his pupil. Pasteur's mind worked slowly, but very 

 carefully, and he was exceedingly scrupulous in 

 regard to the accuracy of his information. In this 

 he resembled his father. Romanet perceived be- 

 neath the quiet demeanor of this industrious lad 

 promises of future achievement which had not 

 impressed other and less discerning instructors, and 

 he encouraged Pasteur in the development of those 

 habits of careful and accurate thinking which are 

 commonly given little credit by teachers as com- 

 pared with facility of learning and glibness of 

 expression. 



When Pasteur had finished his course in the little 

 college of Arbois the question What next? began 

 to agitate the family. Romanet had tried to per- 

 suade his pupil to look forward to going to the 

 Ecole Normale at Paris, but this meant much ad- 

 ditional preparation. The family was poor and 

 could ill afford the expense of sending Louis to such 



