136 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



former times at grandpapa's every woman in 

 the house, whether mistress or maid, had her 

 wheel, and the young ladies were accustomed 

 to spin and make up their own trousseaus. 

 Later, mama continued her spinning for her 

 children, and even for her grandchildren. We 

 all preserve as a precious souvenir, table linen 

 of her making. We delighted to see her 

 at her wheel, she was so graceful, and the 

 thread of her thought seemed to follow, so to 

 speak, the fine and delicate thread of her work 

 as it unwound itself under her touch from the 

 distaff." 



Agassiz was detained by his publishing ar- 

 rangements and his work longer than he had 

 expected, and November was already advanced 

 before his preparations for leaving Munich 

 were completed. 



TO HIS PARENTS. 



MUNICH, November 9, 1830. 

 . . . According to your wish [this refers 

 to a suggestion about a fellow-student in a 

 previous letter] I shall not bring any friend 

 with me. I long to enjoy the pleasure of 

 family life. I shall, however, be accompa- 

 nied by one person, for whom I should like 

 to make suitable arrangements. He is the 



