52 GAEL LINN^US. 



flowers. He says of himself in his autobiography : 

 " He was scarcely four years old when he accom- 

 panied his father at a feast at Mokler, and in the 

 evening, it being a very pleasant season of the 

 year, the guests seated themselves on some flowery 

 turf, listening to the pastor, who made various re- 

 marks on the names and properties of the plants, 

 showing them the roots of the succisa, tormentilla, 

 orchids, etc. The child paid the most uninter- 

 rupted attention to all he saw and heard, and from 

 that hour never ceased harassing his father about 

 the name, qualities, and nature of every plant he 

 met with ; indeed, he very often asked more 

 than his father was able to answer, but, like other 

 children, he used immediately to forget what he 

 had learned, and especially the names of plants. 

 Hence the father was sometimes put out of humor, 

 and refused to answer him unless he would promise 

 to remember what was told him. Nor had this 

 harshness any bad effect, for he afterward retained 

 with ease whatever he heard." 



When he was eight, a piece of ground was 

 assigned him, which was called " Carl's Garden." 

 Here he gathered plants and flowers, and intro- 

 duced so many rare weeds that his father had great 

 trouble in eradicating them ! So interested did 

 Carl become, that he had nests of wild bees and 

 wasps, not agreeable playthings usually. 



But the play days with weeds and wasps came 

 to an end, for the bright boy had to go to school. 

 His first teacher was " a passionate and morose 



