170 ELIZABETH GARY AGASSIZ 



of gulls, hard work and amusement, all mixed to- 

 gether. The servants hurry to finish their work to 

 come and hear the lectures, but they work well and 

 quietly, separated from the lecture part of the big 

 barn by the diagram board, which shuts off the pantry 

 from the audience. Agassiz has given the three 

 finest lectures on glaciers that Lizzie ever heard 

 from him. Wilder is an admirable teacher and speaks 

 without notes. Hawkins, the wonderful draughtsman, 

 draws fishes on the blackboard developing them by 

 degrees from the tail upwards till the spectators are 

 wild with excitement. Then the fifty tired, faded 

 teachers are sent out to learn from nature and put 

 in practice methods of study given by Agassiz and 

 Wilder. They come home to a nice dinner, — chow- 

 der, beef and lamb and an excellent pudding, and 

 at night there are the nice little rooms emerging 

 one by one from the big dormitory. 



The Penikese school was the first of our marine labora- 

 tories and involved Agassiz in the diflSculties of a pioneer 

 enterprise as well as in the labor of lecturing. The strain 

 proved far beyond his already uncertain strength, although 

 he remained at his post until the season closed. With untir- 

 ing zeal he resumed his work at the Museum in October; 

 yet the watchful eyes of Mrs. Agassiz could not fail to ob- 

 serve his waning vitality as the autumn passed into win- 

 ter. She was not required, however, to bear the pain of see- 

 ing him endure a long period of suffering and weakness. 

 The end was heralded by less than a fortnight's illness, 

 and the parting came swiftly and peacefully on Decem- 

 ber 14, 1873. 



