THE STUDY OF NATURE. 383 
“It was ordered, however, that, with the exception 
of the eldest, who was already my mother’s companion 
and shared with her the management of the household, 
the five youngest should receive their education in 
common from one master—my father. Notwithstand- 
ing his age, he undertook the duties of preceptor and 
schoolmaster. He gave up to us his whole day, from 
six in the morning until six in the evening. He 
reserved for his correspondence, his favourite studies, 
only the first hours of morning, or, more truly speak- 
ing, the last hours of night. Retiring to rest very 
early, he rose every day at three o’clock, without 
taking any heed of his pulmonary weakness. First of 
all, he threw wide his door, and there, before the stars 
or the dawn, according to the season, he blessed God ; 
and God also blessed that venerable head, silvered by 
the experiences of life, not by the passions of humanity. 
In summer time, after his devotions, he took a short 
walk in the garden, and watched the insects and the 
plants awake. His knowledge of them was wonderful ; 
and very often, after breakfast, taking me by the hand, 
he would describe the nature of each flower, would 
point out where each little animal that he had sur- 
prised at dawn took refuge. One of these was a 
snake, which the sight of my father did not in the 
least disconcert ; each time that he seated himself near 
its domicile, it never failed to put forth its head and peer 
at him curiously. He alone knew that it was there, 
and he told none but me of its retirement; it remained 
a secret between us. 
“In those morning-hourg everything he met with 
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