COMMEMORATION ADDRESSES 399 



unfolded his theories and emphasized his belief in the 

 ability of the mind of man to trace in Nature the 

 creative thought of God. "What I wish for you," I 

 can hear him say in his clear tones, "is a culture that 

 is alive, active, susceptible of further development. Do 

 not think that I care to teach you this or the other 

 special science. My instruction is only intended to 

 show you the thoughts in Nature which Science re- 

 veals, and the facts I give you are useful only, or 

 chiefly for this object." 



And now to speak of Mrs. Agassiz, the hostess of 

 our School, for so she seemed to us. To her fell the 

 administration, the discipline of the School. The fact 

 that there were no marks for good or bad conduct, a 

 new departure in those days, made this all the more 

 difficult. Though keeping herself in the background 

 (she taught no classes — she never addressed us), it 

 was her ceaseless vigilance, her constant watchfulness, 

 that smoothed the path for the teachers, that kept 

 going the daily routine of the School in its orderly 

 succession. But more than this, she had it so at heart, 

 that we girls should get the benefit of our teaching, 

 that we should see and appreciate what was given us, 

 that, unconsciously, perhaps, she made us feel it. 

 Above all, we were trusted, — both as to our conduct 

 and the amount of work we did, — and, as a whole, 

 we responded to her confidence in us. 



HeF kindness to the girls who came from a distance, 

 and had no relatives here, but boarded in Cambridge, 

 was marked. But there was one merry little party 

 that came out from Boston every morning in an om- 



