32 CAROLUS LINN^US 



thoroughly trusted, and his right-hand man. 

 This older student the magnetic young Linnaeus 

 in an innocent way, and half unconsciously, 

 appears to have at first captivated and then 

 bribed into helping him in respect to that 

 which he now most desired. 



An old and honored inmate of the doctor's 

 household was his mother. She was a nervous, 

 fretful old lady, much troubled with sleep- 

 lessness. A window of young Linnaeus's room 

 was visible from where she tried to sleep, and 

 she observed that, after this new-comer had 

 been in the house some weeks, a light seemed 

 to be left burning in his room, if not all night, 

 at least until well towards morning, when 

 presumably it had burnt itself out. She 

 reported the case to her son, and insistently, as 

 a thing that ought by all means to be stopped. 

 The whole house was in danger of destruction 

 by fire. Dr. Stobaeus had knowledge of 

 students and their ways. In his own mind 

 he doubted that this was a case of sleeping 

 with the candles burning. He entertained 

 a suspicion that the two companion youths 

 would be found there, recreating themselves 

 with cards in the small hours of the night. 

 At two o'clock next morning, the room of 

 young Linnaeus being illuminated, the doctor 



