CHAPTER XVIII. 

 HELPS OVER HARD PLACES. 



To conduct the work of a local society of natural 

 history like one of our chapters continuously, with no 

 diminution in the membership and with no break in 

 the interest, is not the easiest matter in the world; and 

 those who enter upon the work of the Agassiz Associa- 

 tion with the expectation of uninterrupted sunshine 

 are the first to become low-spirited when the inevitable 

 rainy days beg-in. An intelligent apprehension of the 

 difficulties to be met and a knowledge of the ways 

 in which these difficulties have been met by others, 

 must be of advantage to all who have recently en- 

 rolled themselves among us, and to all who are con- 

 templating that action. A wise man, before beginning 

 to build, sitteth down first and counteth the cost. The 

 first trouble which chapters must expect is loss of 

 members. The chief causes of this loss are three; and, 

 in the order of their frequency, they are, removal from 

 tow,n, loss of interest, death. The population of our 

 country is restless, and ten years is a long time for a 

 family to remain in the same town. This is especially 

 true of the younger members of the family, who go 

 from home to school, from school to college, and from 

 college to business or professional activity. Against 

 loss of members from this cause, and from death, there 

 is no remedy; and, unless a chapter has taken these In- 

 evitable contingencies into previous consideration, it is 

 hard for it to stand the shock of the first removal. The 

 best way to prevent the collapse of a chapter upon the 

 loss of leading members is to have, from the first, a fixed 

 determination to found and establish the chapter as a 



