LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 93 



to encourage me or to take an active interest in my 

 work ; often and often he accompanied me to picture 

 galleries, making sincere and somewhat pathetic efforts 

 to appreciate the beauty of great masterpieces. 



Next to music he enjoyed Nature most, perhaps 

 because it offered him an inexhaustible source of 

 scientific observation. His wearied nerves caused him 

 to seek for soothing impressions, and calm, quiet 

 ponds were what he preferred, with their reeds and 

 aquatic plants, among which he loved to, discover tiny 

 beings, hidden under the leaves and below the surface 

 of the water. 



Teaching and public work took up nearly the whole 

 of his time ; his leisure was devoted to home life 

 and to an intimate circle of friends with whom he 

 was bound by a common scientific fervour and by a 

 University life. He kept up those friendships even 

 after life had scattered them. His active kindness 

 made him a centre of attraction to his relations and 

 we were always very much surrounded. After his"^ 

 father died, in 1878, his mother and two of her grand- , 

 children came to live with us. She was at that time j \ 

 sixty-four years of age and had the appearance of an 

 old lady ; she did not follow the fashion but wore her 

 white hair simply parted and framing her face ; alone 

 her fine dark eyes had preserved their youthful 

 sparkle and bore witness to her former beauty. She 

 had a bright and cheerful disposition and a charming 

 kindliness to every one ; her desire for activity was 

 unfortunately thwarted by the state of her health. 



Elie showed his mother a tender solicitude which 

 manifested itself in the smallest details ; for instance, 

 he who detested cards would play Patience with her ; 

 or he would drive her round the markets, which 



