Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-01-22
" Louis AgasSiZ, Teacher

lie Will OF AGaSSlZ begins mus: lie
last will and testament of Louis A%aSSiZ of
Cambridge, in the County of Middlesex
and Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
teacher. We should think the heart of
every school-master and school-mistreSs in
the land would bonnd at reading this sim
pie announcement The great naturalist
the peer of Aristotle. LinnRus, Cuvier and
Won Baeur, calls himself. in the most
solemn of all documents. - a teacher" -"
There is, to lis, something inspiring in
this designation. All teachers, whether
they are professors in colleges OF directors
in the commonest village schools, must be
thrilled and invigorated by the statement
that Agasslz was proud to enroll himself in
their ranks. The good, grand, noble man,
the apostle of pure science, the investiga-
tor and dlscoverer, the person who was
pre-eminently ii scientific intelligence. dies
with the feeling that his occupation was
that of a teacher He, of course, leaves
little or no property to his family; the
noble woman, the bereaved wife, the con-
stant companion Of his intellect as we'll of
his heart, she who followed him WHITTIER
Soeyer he was led by the spirit of scientific
research, Is, we suppose, the eXecutriN OF
little but his glory; but the will is sublime,
because it records the fact that Louis Agas-
siz was "a teacher" That was his occu-
patton on earth. What it be above we do
not pretend to know. One thing we know
is this, that the simple preamble to his
will must kindle into a generous flame
every soul engaged in the great cause OF
education. Louis AgasSiZ, teacher! but
what teacher We preserve many mem
Ories of precious conversations with him
on this question of teaching. He consider
Ell that teaching was a communication OF
life as well as of knowledge. \ lad Of ten
years once contrived to get into the State
House when AgaSSiZ was urging the in
eontrOvertible arguments for his - Nlu-
scum" We happened to ioStle against
the lad, as he was leaving the hall, and
asked him laughingly, his opinion of the
performance. Well" he said. " I've
been to many lectures, and have been tired
to death, but AgassiZ comes right up to
my notion Of the circus, When we told
Agassiz of this queer compliment. he was
much pleased. He wanted to see the boy
who had been so unconsciouelv apprecia-
tive of the spirit of his speech. He knew
that lie had ma@netizcd grave and elderly
men, and that what he asked for would be
cheerfully granted: but he desired to shake
hands with the lad who thought he was rs
good as a circus, and sent out from hi-
deep lungs great roar of laughter in well
coming the testimony of his Juvenile adj
mirer
Ii would be idle to multiply instance, 0t
the thorough humanity ana gcniality ot
AgaSsiZ. Everybody who knew him ear
tell hundreds of anecdotes illustrative o
his sympathy with all forms oflife, whether
in the Jelly fish. the human child. the de-
veloping boy or girl, the mature man OF
woman. Still his conviction of the imma
terially and personality of mind was some
thing wonderful in so auStere a naturalist
We happened once to please him by defin
ing 4 Jelly fish a> organized water. = Now
look at it through the microscope" he
said. " But, AgasSiz, the play Of the or
ganization i 50 wonderful that it seems tC
me that nothing but mind can account fol
it" V on are right. was his anwer; - il
some incomprehensible way, God Almigh-
ty has created these beings. and | cannot
doubt of their Immortality any more than
| doubt of my own" His fealty to the
rights of animals exceeded that of any great
naturalist who ever preceded him. In
competent rs we are 10 give him hi, due
rank among the great naturali>ts of the
world,w think he cNcelled every natural
ist who has gone before him in striking
at the soul and individuality of all animals
below man. 1t is impossible to convey in
words the peculiar feeling which Agassi7
had on this matter. Doubtless this large
and genial genius is now satisfied. We
cannot penetrate beyond the vail.
What We can do. however. i to cele-
brate Agassiz aS 4 teacher. and try to send
Il new glow into the heart of every person
engaged III the difficult art of teaching
How hard is their work. The present
generation is brought up, As far as educa
ton is concerned. on the most economical
principles. No consideration whatever is
given to the point of the will of Agassiz
When he proudly calls himself Il teach
er," he means that he Is Il radiator of heat
As well as of light. \ poet has well de
scribed the method of instruction adopted
by Agassiz:
He was like the sun giving me He;
Pouring into the caves Ofmy young brain
knowledge from his bright fountains"
Il Boston fflObr