GLIMPSES AT DARWIN'S WORKING LIFE. 627 



always appeared to me more satisfactory to look at the immense amount 

 of pain and suffering in this world as the inevitable result of the natu- 

 ral sequence of events — i. e., general laws — rather than from the direct 

 intervention of God, though I am aware this is not logical with refer- 

 ence to an omniscient Deity," 



He wrote to a Dutch student in 1873 : " The impossibility of con- 

 ceiving that this grand and wondrous universe, with our conscious 

 selves, arose from chance, seems to me the chief argument for the ex- 

 istence of a God ; but whether this is an argument of real value I have 

 never been able to decide. . . . The safest conclusion seems to me that 

 the whole subject is beyond the scope of man's intellect ; but man can 

 do his duty." In 1879, he wrote in the letter first made public by 

 Haeckel : " Science has nothing to do with Christ, except in so far as 

 the habit of scientific research makes a man cautious in admitting 

 evidence. For myself, I do not believe that there ever has been any 

 revelation. As for a future life, every man must judge for himself 

 between conflicting vague probabilities." When the Duke of Argyll 

 remarked to him in 1885, concerning some wonderful adaptations 

 which he had described, that it was impossible to look at them without 

 seeing that they are the effect and the expression of mind, he replied, 

 " Well, that often comes over me with overwhelming force, but at 

 other times it seems to go away." 



One of the characteristics of Mr. Darwin's manner of working 

 was his great respect for time. He used to say that saving the 

 minutes was the way to get work done, and never allowed a few spare 

 minutes to go to waste from thinking that it was not worth while to 

 set to work. He would work up to the very limits of his strength 

 and then suddenly stop, saying, " I believe I mustn't do any more." 

 All his movements were performed as quickly as possible ; but, in cases 

 requiring care, he gave it. lie saved a good deal of time through not 

 having to do things twice — that is, by doing them right at first. His 

 love of experiment was very strong, and was exemplified by his often 

 saying, " I sha'n't be easy till I have tried it " ; and he stuck unflinch- 

 ingly to a subject on which he had once begun, for he could not bear 

 to be beaten, and was accustomed to recall the phrase, *' It's dogged 

 as does it." 



He was fond of light reading, and particularly enjoyed having 

 novels read to him — provided they had good endings. He also liked 

 a biography or a book of travels occasionally, but cared little for the 

 old standards. In later life, he felt his taste for recreation fading out, 

 and he regretfully wrote to Sir Joseph Hooker, in 18G8, respecting 

 the " Messiah " : '* It is the one thing that I should like to hear again, 

 but I dare say I should find my soul too dried up to appreciate it as 

 in old days ; and then I should feel very flat, for it is a horrid bore 

 to feel, as I constantly do, that I am a withered leaf for every subject 

 except science. It sometimes makes me hate science, though God 



