Leo Lesquercu.v. — Orton. 289 
work ; but with all his eflbrts, laboring from six in the morn- 
ing to ten at night, he could earn in the beginning but one dol- 
lar a day. On this pittance he was obliged to support his high- 
born wife : she showed herself, however, as brave as her hus- 
band. Just as he was becoming a master of this calling to 
such a degree that he could earn a better living by it, he was 
obliged to abandon it on account of its effect upon his health. 
At this juncture his father came to his relief, and off'ered 
him a partnership in the small factory, if the son would first 
spend a year in learning the trade. Nothing was left for the bril- 
liant young scholar and teacher but an apprenticeship in Avhich 
the veriest village hinds stood on equal footing with himself. 
He passed this ordeal successfully, gained the partnership in 
due time and became relatively independent once more. But 
at this period, his life judged by all ordinary standards would 
have seemed to be a disastrous failure. His deafness had 
driven him from his profession and from society, and the only 
calling that appeared to open before him was a very humble 
one ; but his mind was active and he gave himself constant 
occupation in the world of literature during all his spare 
hours. By some chance he was drawn to the study of botany and 
especially to the division of the mosses. This is his first direct 
connection with science. He had but little time for such pur- 
suits, — Saturday afternoon and Sunday of daylight for collec- 
tion, but entire nights he made use of for study. He manao-ed 
to buy a microscope and to begin the systematic examination 
of this family of plants. His natural gifts asserted themselves 
here and it was' not long before the young mechanic was 
quoted as an authority on mosses. He had found at last his 
calling, though he did not know it yet. 
About this time the gradual reduction of the forests of the 
Canton led the Government to new interest in the peat bogs 
which furnished the larger part of the fuel of the poorer 
classes. In the carrying out of this interest the Government 
offered a prize, a gold medal valued at twenty ducats, for the 
best essay on the formation and preservation of peat. ]\Ir 
Lesquereux determined to compete for this prize. Making 
arrangements with his father, by doing extra work on certain 
days, he obtained a larger amount of daylight for his outdoor 
studies, and was able for a few months to employ Saturdays, 
Sundays and Mondays as well in this way. He probed the 
