2ET. 60.] HOME LIFE. 231 



restlessly anxious as he thought of the mass of un- 

 published material, and especially of the delay in bring- 

 ing out his Report on Brixham Cave. The writing of 

 this Report had been again and again interrupted by 

 illness, and had become a great anxiety. All work, 

 except two or three slight papers, had been set aside 

 for the Sub - Reports and Maps of the two Royal 

 Commissions, the subjects of both of which were 

 especially his own. The fact was that his health 

 being no longer vigorous, the city work alone taxed 

 his energies. 



He was not a letter-writer, yet had a large corre- 

 spondence notes in reply to frequent inquiries on 

 geological and allied subjects being dashed off with 

 incredible speed. Still, in spite of the resultant fatigue 

 after a full day, he was persistent in snatching every 

 hour, or rather every minute, for his geology. He 

 made a point of making himself acquainted with the 

 leading articles in the ' Times,' but otherwise his read- 

 ing was entirely geological literature. He felt what 

 his true vocation was and adhered to it, and with that 

 tenacity of purpose which was so strong a feature in 

 his character he refrained from opening other books. 



" Why, you read nothing but geology your very 

 soul is steeped in geology," was a remark made to 

 him when he would not look at a book which had 

 made a sensation. His reply was a smile and an 

 affirmative nod. But in repeated attacks of sciatica, 

 which his kind physician altogether attributed to over- 

 work, and when ordered to read nothing but novels, 

 the patient was entirely submissive, and so anxious 

 to get rid of his malady that he read novels only, 

 and that very earnestly, in a manner peculiar to him- 

 self. There was no skipping he read every word. 



