CARL LINN^US. 53 



man, better calculated for extinguishing a youth's 

 talents than for improving them," and the next 

 " pursued the same methods, preferring stripes and 

 punishments to encouragements and admonitions." 

 There was little time now for the precious study of 

 flowers. At seventeen he had to go to a gymnasium 

 or high school, where he would be taught classics, 

 and made ready for the ministry, like his father. 

 He had no fondness for the languages, neither for 

 theology or metaphysics : but having obtained two 

 books on botany, he read them day and night, com- 

 mitting them to memory. The teachers and 

 scholars called him "the little botanist." 



What was his father's chagrin, when he came to 

 the school to visit him, to hear that Carl was quite 

 unfit for the ministry, but would probably make a 

 good tailor or shoemaker ! Poor as he was, he 

 had kept his boy at school for about twelve years. 

 Now, well-nigh disheartened, he stopped, on his 

 way home, to confer with his family physician, Dr. 

 Rothmann. That good man suggested that the 

 boy might like medicine, and accomplish great 

 things in natural history. He offered to take him 

 into his own home, and give him lessons in physiol- 

 ogy, which kind proposal the father accepted, 

 though with little faith. The doctor also taught 

 him botany, and Carl grew happy under the new 



The next year he was sent to the University of 

 Lund, with the following not very creditable certif- 

 icate from the head master of the Gymnasium : 



