The Life of Jean Henri Fabre 



to-day. I very gladly lent my humble aid to this 

 labour of light. I was put to teach physical and 

 natural science. I had faith, and was not sparing 

 of work, with the result that I rarely faced a more 

 attentive or interested audience. The days on 

 which the lessons fell were red-letter days, espe- 

 cially when the lesson was botany and the table 

 disappeared from view under the treasures of the 

 neighbouring conservatories. 



That was going too far. In fact, you can see 

 how heinous my crime was: I taught those young 

 persons what air and water are; whence the light- 

 ning comes and the thunder; by what device our 

 thoughts are transmitted across the seas and con- 

 tinents by means of a metal wire; why fire burns 

 and why we breathe; how a seed puts forth shoots 

 and how a flower blossoms: all eminently hateful 

 things in the eyes of some people, whose feeble 

 eyes are dazzled by the light of day. 



The little lamp must be put out as quickly as 

 possible and measures taken to get rid of the 

 officious person who strove to keep it alight. The 

 scheme was darkly plotted with the old maids who 

 owned my house and who saw the abomination of 

 desolation in these new educational methods. I 

 had no written agreement to protect me. The 

 bailiff appeared with a notice on stamped paper. 

 It baldly informed me that I must move out within 

 four weeks from date, failing which the law would 

 turn my goods and chattels into the street. I had 

 hurriedly to provide myself with a dwelling. The 

 first house which we found happened to be at 

 196 



