THE MUSEUM HIS HEADQUARTERS 29 



At times so gay and entertaining, he possessed, like his 

 father, that indefinable quality of charm which made him 

 welcome everywhere. Years of sorrow never quenched 

 that charm or deadened his genial hospitality. 



His sister Pauline had married Mr. Q. A. Shaw and 

 was living near by in Jamaica Plain. His wife's relatives 

 were widely scattered throughout Boston ; both she and 

 her husband had a large circle of friends, and their 

 opportunities for seeing pleasant people were far greater 

 than the time that either could devote to them. In writ- 

 ing of those days Theodore Lyman says, "I do not 

 know of any married man who could look back on better 

 years, except the money." For the younger Agassiz was 

 never able to accept a life cramped from lack of funds, 

 with the elder's happy philosophy. 



Unlike his father as he was in many other ways, the 

 son nevertheless inherited his unusually quick temper. 

 Although his characteristic outbursts of indignation 

 became less frequent, and were much softened with 

 advancing years, yet this readiness to righteous wrath 

 was not wholly irresponsible for the numerous serious 

 melees in which he became involved at various times, 

 adventures that would have immersed most men in end- 

 less difficulties, but from which with ready resourceful- 

 ness he always contrived to emerge triumphant. 



An example of this, in his later life, comes to mind 

 now. On one of his visits to Berlin he went one evening 

 into a restaurant, sat down at a table and ordered din- 

 ner. A few moments later a party of officers took seats 

 at a neighboring table, and his waiter at once devoted 

 himself to them. Agassiz called across to the waiter 

 that he was waiting for his dinner, whereupon one of 

 the officers came over to him and arrogantly called 



