LETTER TO PROFESSOR DANA. 495 



In town, where I go three times a week to 

 deliver lectures at the Medical College (be- 

 side a course just now in the evening also 

 before a mixed audience), I have the rest of 

 my family, so that nothing would be wanting 

 to my happiness if my health were only bet- 

 ter. . . . What a pity that a man cannot 

 work as much as he would like ; or at least 

 accomplish what he aims at. But no doubt 

 it is best it should be so ; there is no harm in 

 being compelled by natural necessities to Hmit 

 our ambition, — on the contrary, the better 

 sides of our nature are thus not allowed to go 

 to sleep. However, I cannot but regret that 

 I am unable at this time to trace more exten- 

 sively subjects for which I would have ample 

 opportunities here, as for instance the anat- 

 omy of the echinoderms, and also the embry- 

 ology of the lower animals in general. . . . 



This winter, notwithstanding the limitations 

 imposed upon his work by the state of his 

 health, was a very happy one to Agassiz. As 

 mentioned in the above letter his wife and 

 daughters had accompanied him to Charles- 

 ton, and were established there in lodgings. 

 Their holidays and occasional vacations were 

 passed at the house of Dr. John E. Holbrook 



