THE STUDY OF NATURE. 



33 



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" It was ordered, however, that, with the exception 

 of the eldest, who was already my mother's companion 

 and shared with her the management of the household, 

 the five youngest should receive their education in 

 common from one master — my father. Notwithstand- 

 ing his age, he undertook the duties of preceptor and 

 schoolmaster. He gave up to us his whole day, from 

 six in the morning until six in the evening. He 

 reserved for his correspondence, his favourite studies, 

 only the first hours of morning, or, more truly speak- 

 ing, the last hours of night. Retiring to rest very 

 early, he rose every day at three o'clock, without 

 taking any heed of his pulmonary weakness. First of 

 all, he threw wide his door, and there, before the stars 

 or the dawn, according to the season, he blessed God ; 

 and God also blessed that venerable head, silvered by 

 the experiences of life, not by the passions of humanity. 

 In summer time, after his devotions, he took a short 

 walk in the garden, and watched the insects and the 

 plants awake. His knowledge of them was Avonderful ; 

 and very often, after breakfast, taking me by the hand, 

 he would describe the nature of each flower, would 

 point out where each little animal that he had sur- 

 prised at dawn took refuge. One of these was a 

 snake, which the sight of my father did not in the 

 least disconcert ; each time that he seated himself near 

 its domicile, it never failed to put forth its head and peer 

 at him curiously. He alone knew that it was there, 

 and he told none but me of its retirement ; it remained 

 a secret between us. 



" In those morning-hours everything he met with 



