IfthecircumstancesinwhichJacquesandPierregrewupweremodestandnotfreefromcares,neverthelesstherereignedinthefamilyanatmosphereofgentlenessandaffection.Inspeakingtomeforthefirsttimeofhisparents,PierreCuriesaidthattheywere"exquisite."Theywere,intruth,that.Thefather'sspiritwasalittleauthoritative——alwaysawakeandactive.Andhepossessedarareunselfishness.Heneitherwishednorknewhowtoprofitbypersonalrelationstoamelioratehiscondition.Helovedhiswifeandsonstenderly,andwaseverreadytoaidallwhoneededhim.Themotherwasslight,vividincharacter,and,eventhoughherhealthhadsufferedthroughthebirthofhersons,wasalwaysgayandactiveinthesimplehomethatshesowellknewhowtomakeattractiveandhospitable.
WhenIfirstknewthemtheylivedatSceaux,ruedesSablons(to-dayruePierreCurie)inalittlehouseofancientconstructionhalfconcealedamidsttheverdureofaprettygarden.Theirlifewaspeaceful.DoctorCuriewentwherehisdutiescalledhim,eitherinSceauxorinneighboringlocalities.Beyondthisheoccupiedhimselfwithhisgardenorhisreading.NearrelativesandneighborscametovisitonSundays,whenbowlingandchesswerethefavoriteamusements.FromtimetotimeHenriBrissonsoughtouthisoldcompanioninhistranquilretreat.Greatcalmandserenityenvelopedthegarden,thedwelling,anditsinhabitants.
PierreCuriewasbornthethofMay,,inahousefacingtheJardindesPlantes,rueCuvier,wherehisparentslivedatthetimewhenhisfatherwasworkingintheMuseumlaboratories.HewasthesecondsonofDoctorCurieandthreeandahalfyearsyoungerthanhisbrotherJacques.InafterlifeheretainedfewparticularlycharacteristicmemoriesofhischildhoodinParis;yethedidtellmehowvividlypresentinhismindwerethedaysoftheCommune,thebattleonthebarricadesonearthehousewherehethenlived,thehospitalestablishedbyhisfather,andtheexpeditions,onwhichhisbrotheraccompaniedhim,insearchofthewounded.
ItwasinthatPierremovedwithhisparentsfromthecapitaltothesuburbsofParis,livingfirst,fromto,atFontenayaux-Roses,thenatSceauxfromto,theyearofourmarriage.
Pierrepassedhischildhoodentirelywithinthefamilycircle;heneverwenttotheelementaryschoolnortothelycee.Hisearliestinstructionwasgivenhimfirstbyhismotherandwasthencontinuedbyhisfatherandhiselderbrother,whohimselfhadneverfollowedinanycompletewaythecourseofthelycee.Pierre'sintellectualcapacitieswerenotthosewhichwouldpermittherapidassimilationofaprescribedcourseofstudies.Hisdreamer'sspiritwouldnotsubmititselftotheorderingoftheintellectualeffortimposedbytheschool.Thedifficultyheexperiencedinfollowingsuchaprogramwasusuallyattributedtoacertainslownessofmind.Hehimselfbelievedthathehadthisslowmindandoftensaidso.Ithink,however,thatthisbeliefwasnotentirelyjustified.Itseemstome,rather,thatalreadyfromhisearlyyouthitwasnecessaryforhimtoconcentratehisthoughtwithgreatintensityuponacertaindefiniteobject,inordertoobtainapreciseresult,andthatitwasimpossibleforhimtointerruptortomodifythecourseofhisreflectionstosuitexteriorcircumstances.Itisclearthatamindofthiskindcanholdwithinitselfgreatfuturepossibilities.Butitisnolessclearthatnosystemofeducationhasbeenespeciallyprovidedbythepublicschoolforpersonsofthisintellectualcategory,whichneverthelessincludesmorerepresentativesthanonewouldbelieveatfirstsight.