became treasurer of the local improvement society, and 

 thereby was serenaded once a year by a brass band. 

 W^e hear of the village rector once saying, " Mr. Dar- 

 win knows botany better than anybody this side of 

 Kew ; and although I am sorry to say that he seldom 

 goes to church, yet he is a good neighbor and almost a 

 model citizen." Together the clergyman and his neigh- 

 bor discussed the merits of climbing roses, sweet peas 

 and morning-glories. Darw^in met all and every one on 

 terms of absolute equality, and never forced his sci- 

 entific hypotheses upon any one. In fact, no one in the 

 village imagined that this quiet country gentleman in 

 the dusty gray clothes that matched his full iron-gray 

 beard, w^as destined for a place in Westminster Abbey 

 — no, not even himself! 



Darwin's father, seeing that the Government had 

 recognized him, and that the scientific societies of 

 London were quite w^illing to do as much, settled on 

 him an allowance that w^as ample for his simple w^ants. 

 QOn the death of Dr. Darwin, Charles came into pos- 

 session of an inheritance that brought him a yearly 

 income of a little over five hundred pounds. 

 Children came to bless this happy household — seven 

 in all. With these Darwin w^as comrade and teacher. 

 Tw^o hours a day were sacred for science, but outside 

 of this time the children made the study their ov/n and 

 littered the place with their collections gathered on 

 heath and dale. The recognition of the **holy time" 

 w^as strong in the minds of the children, so no prohi- 

 bitions were needed. One daughter has written in 



175 



LITTLE 

 JOURNEYS 



