716 REMINISCENCES <»K HT'XLEY. 



methods and scientitio phil()s()[)hy iji oeneral. In the course of the dis- 

 cussion I attacked sundry statements of Huxk\v with (|uite unneces- 

 sary warmth, for such is the superfluous l)ellij;erency of youth. The 

 World reported my lectures in full, insonuich that each one KUed six 

 or seven columns, and the editor, Manton Mar))le, sent copies rei^ularly 

 to Huxley and others. Four 3'ears afterwards I went to Ijondon to 

 spend some time there in finishing Cosmic Philoso])h3^ and j^ettinj^- it 

 through the press. I had corresponded with Spencer for several years, 

 a!id soon after my airival he ^ave one of his cx(juisite little dinnei-s at 

 his own lodgings, Spencer's omniscience extended to the kitchen, and 

 as composer of a menu neither Careine nor Francatelli could have 

 surpasse<l him. The other guests were Huxley, Tvndall. Lewes, and 

 Hughlings Jackson. Huxley took but little notice of me, and 1 fan- 

 cied that something in those lectui'cs uuist have offended him. Hut 

 two or three weeks later Sj)encer took me to the dinner of the ./• Cluh, 

 all the meml)ers ot' wliicli \vei"e present except Luhhock. When the 

 coffee was ser\ed Huxley Wrought his t-liaii' around to my side and 

 talked with me the rest of the evening. My im])ression was that he 

 was the cosiest man 1 had ever met. He ended l»y inviting me to his 

 house for the next Sunday at 0, for what he called '" tall tea." 



This was the introduction to a series of experiences so delightful 

 that, it" one could oidy n^peat them, the living ovei- again all the had 

 (juarters of an lu)ur in one's lifetime would not ]>e too high a |)iice to 

 pay. I was already at home in sevei'al London houscdiolds, l)ut nowhere 

 was anything so sweet as the cordial welcom«> in that cosy di'awing- 

 room on Marlhoi'ough Place, where the great naturalist l»ecam(> sim- 

 ])ly '■ l*ater"' (pronounced Patter), to he pulled about and tousled and 

 kissed l)y those lovelv children. Nor could anything so warm the 

 heart of an exile (if so UK^lancholy a term can })rop(M"ly he a])plied to 

 anybody sojourning in beloved London) as to have the little 7-year-old 

 miss climb into one's lap and ask for fairy tales, whereof I luckily had 

 an ample re})ertoire. Nothing could be found more truly hospitable 

 than the long dinner table, where our beaming host used to exi)lain, 

 '' Because this is called a tea is no reason why a man shouldn't pledge 

 his friend in a stoup of Khenish, or even in a noggin of Gleidivet, if 

 he has a mind to." At the end of our first evening J was told that a 

 plate would be set for me every Sunday, and I must never fail to come. 

 After two or three Sundays, however, I l)egan to feel afraid of pre- 

 simiing too much upon the cordiality of these new friends, and so, by 

 a superhuman efi'ort of self-control, and at the cost of unspeakable 

 wretchedness, I stayed away. For this truancv I was prompth' called 

 to account, a shamefast confession was extorted, and penalties, vague 

 but dire, were denounced in case of a second ofiense; so I never missed 

 another Sunda}' evening till the time came for leaving London. 



