18 AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND 



ciimm," a well-baptized plant, from its horrid he-goat's 

 smell. This is another digression perhaps out of 

 place but it is an incident of my life and I " sketch 

 it!" And I have many more incidental episodes to 

 relate, but I shall pass them over, or most of them. 



I went on with my studies of Latin and cryptogamy 

 and a few other odd ideas, notions, etc. I progressed 

 moderately well. The first use I made of my embry- 

 onic knowledge of Latin was quite a diminutive tri- 

 umph for my vanity. I can not refrain from recount- 

 ing it. 



I had a young man working with me who was going 

 to marry. One day he asked me if he could not have 

 half a day to go and see his betrothed. I told him he 

 could, but I told him jokingly : " My dear fellow, if 

 you marry before the priest you will have to go to 

 confess, if not he will not marry you ; but if you give 

 up the religious ceremony and get satisfied to be mar- 

 ried before your mayor or any other official, all right ! 

 As the French law does not recognize the religious cer- 

 emony as legal, you can choose." He answered me 

 that he would not go to confess and would get mar- 

 ried ! "Well, do as you please," I responded. When 

 he came to work the following day he showed me a 

 sheet of paper folded in four parts, not sealed, nor any 

 envelope at that time. It was a certificate about his 



