Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. I.djvu/296

312 Yet have I never anywhere heard of such heart-felt, perfect relationship, between parents and daughters—especially between fathers and their daughters, as here. I have nowhere else seen daughters so fully devote their whole life to their fathers, and become their helpers, not merely in the home, but also in their work and scientific labors. Madame de Staël's eloquent pen has made the world acquainted with the reverence which she entertained for her father. Thus was the great Haller beloved by his daughter; thus the celebrated Saussure by his.

Amongst other beautiful instances of this relationship, at the present time, I have heard Professor Navillé and his daughter Rosa mentioned, who, being companions in life, have been also companions in death; and the author of La Theopneustie, M. Gaussin, and his daughter, at the same time his faithful companion and helper. This does not surprise me. These relationships are, in a high degree, natural, and they would be more frequently met with, if fathers were more frequently really good, just, unselfish educators of their daughters, and if the laws of the country were equitable and promotive of freedom and independence. There are eternal laws, as well as eternal covenants.

I mentioned sermons in Geneva, and I must say a few words about these and the preachers. In many of the latter, I found talent, and good qualifications, but as combined with genius, only in one instance—the young Bouvier. In the Church, la Polissêrie, which is also called the Layman's Church, the preaching consists of free discourses by various of its