12 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



the price of admission to the entertainment, which con- 

 sisted in the reciting of the text appropriate to each 

 illustration. 



The most exciting of Alexander's experiences at Frei- 

 burg occurred on Easter morning, 1848. It was the 

 year of the Revolution that swept over Germany. The 

 insurgents held possession of the town, while the gov- 

 ernment was massing troops outside, to meet Hecker 's 

 expected approach. Mrs. Agassiz was seriously ill in 

 bed, and did not realize the gravity of the situation. 

 Unable to celebrate the Easter holiday with her child- 

 ren, she allowed them to go to their Uncle Alexander's, 

 who lived about two miles outside the city. No sooner 

 had they arrived at their uncle's than firing was heard, 

 and they were sent back. Their walk home was through 

 a scene of great confusion, squads of soldiers marching 

 hurriedly, men on stretchers, people shouting, " Hecker 

 is coming ! Hecker is coming ! " On reaching the city 

 gate they found it barricaded. The girls began to cry, 

 but their small protector kept quite cool, opened nego- 

 tiations with those on the inside and persuaded them to 

 let the little noncombatants in. When at last safely at 

 home, they bolted the doors, closed the shutters, and 

 lighted candles. The girls tried to busy themselves at 

 their mother's bedside, and through the chinks in the 

 closed blinds Alex watched the capture of the town by 

 the government troops. Several cannon-balls fell into 

 the attic, and the blind through which he was looking 

 was grazed and broken by a ball which made his cheek 

 feel hot as it whizzed past. 



As Mrs. Agassiz became weaker, the thoughtful child 

 grew more quiet and serious, for he adored her and 

 must have realized that her end was near. He now took 



