New-York tribune., 1871-12-14
DEEI'-SEA DREDGING.

NJ. Louis Agassiz's letter to Prof. Pierce on
the eve of his embarkatiOn to explore the un-
known sea-depths, in which he prophecies what
new mysteries Nature will hold for him there,
reminds us of story we once heard, of a
Door Swiss lad who, refusing to learn how to
turn q penny by his fathers trade, began
alOne and unaided to spell out the alphabet
of Nature in rocks, and birds, and beasts.
| The knowledge did not promise to help him
| on one whit among his neighbOrs; did not
put shoes on his feet, or salt in his pOrridge;
q comfortable home and successful business
waited for him. but he chose to go wandering
through the Alps, hatchet in hand, and often
| but sou in pocket" a sum 30 little" he said,
| "when my hunger was so big" SO, hungry
and half-clothed, he followed for years
the half -effaced signs of this unknown Lam
guage, which he fancied God had spoken and
not men, az q child might trace the footsteps
of q lost mother. At last he made his way to
London, to Sir ROderick Murchison, who, he
thought, could help him. swell, Sir, what do
"you know Z" demanded the great naturalist,
noting his beardless chin and ruddy cheeks.
"1 think" hesitated the lad. ga little about
fishes.n That night, at a meeting Of the Royal
Society, Sir Roderick held up a covered package.
"I have here" he said. "a fish which ex-
I" listed 10 such all era"-sOme time long before
Adam was born, and proceeded to state the
exact conditions and position in which it was
found. "Can our young friend, who knows
something about fishes, tell us anything
"abOut it9" WhereupOn the Swiss boy promptly
drew upon the black board skeleton mon
ster, of which the real one. when uncovered,
proved to be the exact duplicate, and then the
old graybeards present recognized him as one
of themselves, and gave him place, very much
az the kings in lIadcs rose to receive NapO-
leon.
Tho little story bears upon one significant
fact: that tho unworldly, simple-hsarted man,
who went out last week to prove for tho second
time that he knew something about fishes"
has conquered nights in life, and a certain
place 10 the worlds esteem which no accident
of birth, no money, no warlike victory, could
have given him. Our reason for telling the
story il that it seems to us a most needed and
wholesome tonic for young men and tho fathers
Of young men to stop short sometimes and re-
member that there are careers and victories in
the world with which money or power has
absolutely nothing to do. 1t is truth almost
incredible to U.s. 80 little does it enter into the
daily routine Of any of our lives. How
most effectively to get money, power, or
social rank, is the basis of all plans for boys,
from their birth to their starting in life. Even
the man who devotes himself to save his fel-
low men by preaching Christ's gospel, aims at
q certain standing in his sect, better salary,
Approximate reputation to that Of q Beecher
OF Brooks. acknowledgment, sef-aggran.
dizement, ia the handspring Of most human
machines. To the ordinary citizen. Smith,
whose brain Is full of his shop or briefs, and
tho place in society he means to achieve for
his wife and the little Smiths, this talk of am
phipods and DISASTERS to be found in the bot
tom Of the sea il 10 much childish gibberish
What have dysasters to do with tho world or
its real businessf The higher education must
begin in the cradle, which will teach boy to
despise money. and the good it commands
to find in coming close to Natures face, and
reading there the messages which age after
ago has left for him, clues to the yet unread
secrets of Creation or Death, nobler use for
life than in the rise of muslins or fall in
pork. or even in buying . house with modern
oonveniences for himself and family Money
getting and tho strife for social rank arc in
no country in the world 90 abaorbing aud
universal passion as here. There are signs
Of hopeful change. it il true a growing
taste for and delight IN beautiful or curious
oNccs. We bay pictures and found