42 LOUIS AGASSIZ 



good as to see liis prescription at the 

 apothecary's 1 ?" "I hope yet to prove 

 to you that, with a brevet of Doctor as 

 a guarantee, Natural History may be a 

 man's bread-winner as well as the de- 

 light of his life." " I hasten, my dear 

 son, to announce the arrival of your 

 beautiful work which reached me on 

 Thursday, from Geneva. I have no 

 terms in which to express the pleasure 

 it has given me. . . . The old father 

 who waits for you with open heart and 

 arms sends you the most tender greet- 

 ing." His mother adds: "I cannot 

 thank you enough, my dear Louis, for 

 the happiness you have given me in 

 completing your medical examinations, 

 and thus securing to yourself a career 

 as safe as it is honourable. . . . You have 

 for my sake gone through a long and 

 arduous task. Were it in my power, I 

 would gladly reward you ; but I cannot 

 even say that I love you the more for it, 

 because that is impossible." 



