Louis Agassiz 



two brothers, as we have seen, to travel over the 

 country afoot, returning from their vacations in this 

 way. During such a journey a gentleman passing in 

 his carriage noticed the boys and requested them 

 to join him at lunch, which he carried. They ac- 

 cepted the invitation and were soon unfolding their 

 confidences to the courteous stranger, who was 

 especially attracted to the older boy ; so much so, 

 that some days later, when the lads had returned to 

 Zurich and the incident had almost passed out of 

 their memory, a letter arrived at the parsonage em- 

 bodying a request from the stranger that he might 

 adopt Louis, further stating that he was a man of 

 wealth, a resident of Geneva, and that he would 

 undertake the entire expense of the young man's 

 education. Such an offer, which meant not a 

 little, to a family of moderate means, was most 

 tempting ; but filial love and affection won the 

 day, and the young man declined even by inference 

 to sunder any of the ties that bound him to home 

 and family. 



This faculty which Agassiz seemed to possess, of 

 attracting and impressing all with his mental vigour 

 and charm of manner as well as his tastes for the 

 sciences, now brought him into contact with men 

 older than himself, all of whom aided in maturing 

 his mind and giving him a stimulus in new channels. 

 Among those who took an immediate interest in his 

 work and future, was Professor Schinz, a distin- 

 guished scientist of the time, who was his professor 

 in natural history and physiology. Professor Schinz 

 invited him to his home, introduced him to other 



