74 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



His attention and diligence interested the professor, who 

 pointed out to him the means of making a hortus siccus. 

 Linnaeus at once began drying plants and glueing them 

 on paper. The dry air of Sweden is favourable to the 

 drying of plants. Linnaeus always dried his plants and 

 fixed them with isinglass, each on a half-sheet of paper. 

 I dare say it was through the friendly offices of Hb'k, 

 himself at this time a poor man, that Stobaeus was 

 apprised of the ardent student's indigent condition ; so 

 that Linnasus found in his extremity of need a second 

 good physician ready to hold out a helping hand to a 

 struggling young brother. Like the kind Rothman of 

 Wexio, Stobaeus offered him accommodation free of all 

 expense in his own family, and here Carl for the first 

 time in his life met with a well-arranged collection of 

 natural history. 



This fact of his being again gratuitously received 

 into a family proves Linnaeus's good behaviour and 

 manners, for we never hear of the ladies of these families 

 objecting to him in any way. Stobaeus had very bad 

 health; he was one-eyed, besides, and lame in one foot. 

 But what nature had denied him in bodily advantages 

 was amply compensated for in the excellence of his dis- 

 position and the superiority of his mental attainments. 1 

 This was a delightful life. Carl's mind grew apace. 

 He became acquainted with curiosities he had never 

 seen before. The Natural History Museum of Lund 

 contained a fine collection of birds and snow-white 

 1 Stoever. 



