Louis Pasteur

THE LEGEND OF PASTEUR 27
such humble efforts conceal? The travels of the explorer into
the dangerous and unknown, the literary and artistic projections
of imaginative wanderings into unusual or unreal worlds, the
visions of wild dreams, certainly are not the only manifestations
of the restless mind. The mere copying of one's environment may
at times be a naive effort to dominate the world by an act of
re-creation. And so Pasteur may have begun, in these youthful
portraits, an attempt at the intellectual mastery and control of
his environment.
Like his schooling, his early letters and writings fail to give an
obvious omen of the adventurous life he was to live. To his parents,
he faithfully recorded conscientious scholastic efforts; to his
mother, he recommended that she not interfere with his sisters*
schoolwork by too many small household chores; to his sisters,
he advised good behavior and diligent study.
"Work, love one another. Work . . . may at first cause disgust
and boredom; but one who has become used to work can no
longer live -without it ... with knowledge one is happy, with
one rises above others."
knowledge
**. . . Action, and work, always follow will, and work is almost
always accompanied by success. These three things, will, work
and success, divide between themselves all human existence;
will opens the door to brilliant and happy careers; work allows
one to walk through these doors, and once arrived at the end
of the journey, success comes to crown one's efforts."
This rigid sense of discipline was softened by a great senti-
mentality and a profound devotion to his family,
friends and
country. He read edifying books and attempted to mold his life,
and that of others, according to their teachings. So strong was
superior to the usual work of young people who destine themselves to an
artistic career. There is something of the great analyst in these portraits:
they express absolute truth and uncommon will power. I am certain that
had M. Pasteur selected art instead of science, France would count today
one more able painter. . . ."