Emerson.] 214 [Jan. 7, 



to meet Mr. Agassiz at my house. Every one came that 

 could come. They conversed very freely on several subjects, 

 and Agassiz showed the fulness of his knowledge, and his 

 remarkable powers of instant observation. All seemed to 

 feel what a precious accession American science was to re- 

 ceive. 



Not long afterwards, Mr. Agassiz accepted an invitation 

 to spend Christmas with us. We took some pains, ourselves 

 and our children, among whom were then two bright boys, 

 full of fun and frolic, one in college, and one nearly prepared 

 to enter. He was easily entertained, entering heartily, joy- 

 ously and hilariously, into everything, games and all, as if 

 he were still as young as the youngest, but full of feeling, 

 and moved, even to tears, by some poor lines to him and his 

 native land. 



My friends, I have thus shown you how intimate I became, 

 for a few weeks, with Agassiz, whom I found the wisest, the 

 most thoroughly well-informed and communicative, the most 

 warm-hearted and the most modest man of science, with 

 whom, personally, or by his works, I had ever become ac- 

 quainted. I did not keep up that intimate acquaintance, 

 both because I was too busy in my own work, and because I did 

 not deem myself worthy to occupy so much of his time, 

 consecrated, as it was, to science and the good of mankind. 

 The strong impression he made on me, was made on almost 

 all who ever listened to, or even met, him. It is not surpris- 

 ing then, that 



The news of the death of Agassiz caused a throb of an- 

 guish in millions of hearts. Such a death is a loss to man- 

 kind. What death among kings or princes in the Old World, 



