70 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



other profession by which money is to be 

 made, and, besides, it is too late to make an- 

 other selection. This being so, we will come 

 to an understanding in one word : Let the 

 sciences be the balloon in which you pre- 

 pare to travel through higher regions, but let 

 medicine and surgery be your parachutes. I 

 think, my dear Louis, you cannot object to 

 this way of looking at the question and decid- 

 ing it. In making my respects to the pro- 

 fessor of zoology, I have the pleasure to tell 

 him that his uncle was delighted with his way 

 of passing his evenings, and congratulates him 

 with all his heart on his choice of a recreation. 

 Enough of this chapter. I close it here, wish- 

 ing you most heartily courage, health, success, 

 and, above all, contentment. . . . 



Upon this follows the answer to Louis's re- 

 quest for details about the " Society of Public 

 Utility." It shows the intimate exchange of 

 thought between father and son on educa- 

 tional subjects, but it is of too local an inter- 

 est for reproduction here. 



The Easter vacation was devoted to a short 

 journey, some account of which will be found 

 in the next letter. The traveling party con- 

 sisted of Agassiz, Braun, and Schimper^ with 



