LOUIS PASTEUR 135 



the father desired to learn those things with which the 

 son was dealing, and Louis became truly his father's 

 teacher. Two years in the schools of Arbois, then two 

 years in the college at Besancon not far from Arbois, 

 brought to Louis recognition as a successful student and 

 as a tutor of his fellows. Then, at twenty years of age, 

 in 1842, he returned to Paris as a student in the Ecole 

 Normale, soon to be widely recognized as a young man 

 of industry, intellectual integrity, and earnest devotion 

 to his studies. 



In addition to other studies, Pasteur attended lec- 

 tures at the Sorbonne and devoted much time to the 

 study of the structure of crystals. He became widely 

 known and highly respected as a student of chemistry, 

 and on January 15, 1849, began an eight-year period of 

 useful service as professor of chemistry at the University 

 of Strassburg. A characteristic Pasteurism occurred 

 in the early part of his stay at Strassburg. The rector 

 of the University was most cordial to the newly arrived 

 professor of chemistry and took him to his home, where 

 Pasteur was introduced to the rector's wife and daughter. 

 In two weeks Louis addressed a lengthy letter to the 

 rector, serving notice that the elder Pasteur, according 

 to the customs of the times, would soon appear and 

 propose marriage between Louis and the daughter. In 

 this letter Louis informed the rector that, "as to the 

 future, unless my tastes should completely change, I 

 shall give myself up entirely to chemical research." 

 The father came, the proposal was made and duly ac- 

 cepted, the marriage occurred in three months. 



At the close of 1854 Pasteur left Strassburg for a pro- 



