22 PENIKESE. 



which increased daily as the Master's hand directed 

 our attention, and his thoughts our thoughts, to the 

 to us at least hitherto unimagined wonders of the 

 objects lying everywhere about us. Drawn by a 

 common union of mind, sentiment, and purpose, 

 there had met together, from all parts of the United 

 States, two score and ten specialists old and young, 

 men and women teachers to be instructed of teach- 

 ers. All faults and differences were forgotten, if in- 

 deed there were many to forget, by mutual consent, 

 as each worked for the common good of mankind. 

 No wonder that the influence of these persons is felt 

 today everywhere, throughout the length and breadth 

 of the land, as they reflect the light of that wonder- 

 ful man, Louis Jean Rudolph Agassiz.. Love makes 

 even duty a pleasure. One short hour and we loved 

 our instructors and our companions we loved our 

 little sea-girt island, for all its barrenness. We 

 looked upon everything about us with a sort of rev- 

 erence. All had a meaning now. Do you wonder 

 that I remember those days as some of the happiest 

 of my life? But active preparations for dinner are 

 going on, it would amuse you to see them. 



Our first dinner had, for the most part, been pre- 

 pared in New Bedford, and brought over with us in 

 the boat. The room in which we were to dine was 

 almost square; and the doors opened near the centre 

 of one side of the building and next to the partition, 

 which separated the dining-hall from the kitchen. 

 Close to the windows, upon either side, were two 

 long tables running lengthwise of the hall, which 

 were intended for the students; a third table, running 

 crossways and with its ends directly in front of the 

 entrance, was for the use of the professors and their 

 families. There were rough, homely chairs placed 

 evenly and closely to the white table cloth and neatly 

 set tables; the dishes were plain, though not coarse; 

 and the food simple yet healthful. All things seemed 

 exactly fitted to the occasion. Were we inclined to 

 grumble a little, at first, at both our food and our 



