48 THE LIFE OF PASTEUR 



When Pasteur on his arrival called on this family, he had 

 the feeling that happiness lay there. He had seen at Arbois 

 how, through the daily difficulties of manu ' labour, his parents 

 looked at life from an exalted point cl ^ew, appreciating it 

 from that standard of moral perfection which gives dignity 

 and grandeur to the humblest existence. In this family — of 

 a higher social position than his own — he again found the same 

 high ideal, and, with great superiority of education, the same 

 simple-mindedness. When Pasteur entered for the first time 

 the Laurent family circle, he immediately felt the delightful 

 impression of being in a thoroughly congenial atmosphere ; a 

 communion of thoughts and feelings seemed established after 

 the first words, the first looks exchanged between him and 

 his hosts. 



In the evening, at the restaurant where most of the younger 

 professors dined, he heard others speak of the kindliness and 

 strict justice of the Rector ; and everyone expressed respect 

 for his wonderfully united family. 



At one of M. Laurent's quiet evening "at homes," Bertin 

 was saying of Pasteur, " You do not often meet with such a 

 hard worker ; no attraction ever can take him away from his 

 work." The attraction now came, however, and it was such 

 a powerful one that, on February 10, only a fortnight after his 

 arrival, Pasteur addressed to M. Laurent the following official 

 letter : — 



"Sir,— 



" An offer of the greatest importance to me and to your 

 family is about to be made to you on my behalf ; and I feel it 

 my duty to put you in possession of the following facts, which 

 may have some weight in determining your acceptance or 

 refusal. 



" My father is a tanner in the small town of Arbois in the 

 Jura, my sisters keep house for him, and assist him with his 

 books, taking the place of my mother whom we had the mis- 

 fortune to lose in May last. 



"My family is in easy circumstances, but with no 

 fortune ; I do not value what we possess at more than 50,000 

 francs, and, as for me, I have long ago decided to hand 

 over to my sisters the whole of what should be my share. 

 I have therefore absolutely no fortune. My only means 



