FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY. 543 



fidence Mr. Otto Dresel, warmly valued by 

 Agassiz both as friend and musician, and he 

 arranged their midnight programme for them. 

 Always sure of finding their professor awake 

 and at work at that hour, they stationed the 

 musicians before the house, and as the last 

 stroke of twelve sounded, the succeeding still- 

 ness was broken by men's voices singing a 

 Bach choral. When Agassiz stepped out to 

 see whence came this pleasant salutation, he 

 was met by his young friends bringing flow- 

 ers and congratulations. Then followed one 

 number after another of the well-ordered se- 

 lection, into which was admitted here and 

 there a German student song in memory of 

 Agassiz's own university life at Heidelberg 

 and Munich. It was late, or rather early, 

 since the new day was already begun, before 

 the little concert was over and the guests had 

 dispersed. It is difficult to reproduce with 

 anything like its original glow and coloring 

 a scene of this kind. It will no more be called 

 back than the hour or the moonlight night 

 which had the warmth and softness of June. 

 It is recorded here only because it illustrates 

 the intimate personal sympathy between Agas- 

 siz and his students. 



For this occasion also were written the well- 



