Agassiz As A Boy

The story is told of Professor Agassiz ■liat he was a poor Swiss lud, who, refusng to learn to turn a penny by his fathr's trade, began alono to spoll out the alhabet ot' nature in rocks, and birds, and casts. The knowledgo (lid not promise 0 help him along one wliit among his neighbors ; did not put shoes on his feet, r salt. in his porridge ; a conifortable ïouic and a succcssf ui business was waiting Öt him, but ho ehose to go wandoring .hrough thcj Alps, hivtchot in hand, and fti.'ii but a sou in his pocket - " a suin so ittle," he said, " when my hunger was so ig '. " So, hungry and half clothed, he 'ollowed the half efifaced signs of his uncnown languago, ■wliich he fancied Ood ïad spokin and not man, as a child might .raoo the footsteps of a iost inother. At :ist he made his way to London, to Sir todcrick Murchison, who, ho thought, ould help him. " Well, sir, what do you mow ?" demanded the great naturalist, lot ing his boardless chin and ruddy cheeks. 1 1 think- " hesitated tlie lad, " a little about fishes." That night, at a meeting of the Koyal Society, Sir Roderick held up a coverod package. " I havo hei"e," ho aid, " a íish which oxisted in such an era " - somo time before Adam was bom, and i)roceeded to state the exact condiion and position in which it was found. 1 Can our young friend, who knowp snnhing about fishes, teil us anyfiting about t ?" Whoreupon the Swiss boy promptly drcw upon the blftctbóaird a. skelcton uonster, of which tho roal oiic, whcn uncovcred, proved to be the exact duplícate, and thon the old grcybeards present roO" ognized him as ono of themselves, and jave hiui place, veiy rauch as the kingB ut' liados rose to rcceivo Napoleon.