CHAPTER VII. 



CHARLES DARWIN. 



IN the first volume of the Life and Letters of C/iarlcs 

 Darwin, there present themselves almost at once two 

 pieces of writing from which, taken together, it would be 

 impossible not to know, as well the general character of 

 the work of Mr. Darwin, as, more particularly his own. 

 The first is referred to in the title of the book as An 

 Autobiographical Chapter containing " recollections " 

 which, it is said, " were written for his children, and 

 without any thought that they would be published." 

 Mr. Darwin explains himself that such a chapter was the 

 suggestion of one of his critics, and that he had acted 

 upon it because he thought " that the attempt would 

 amuse him, and might possibly interest his children or 

 their children." Mr. Darwin will be found elsewhere, on 

 H letter addressed expressly to his father, to scribble a 

 warning : " I find after the first page I have been writing 

 to my sisters." So here, from the turn of the phrase at 

 times, Mr. Darwin not that any inference of mis- 

 statement is meant must, when he is supposed to be 

 writing exclusively to his children, have occasionally 

 been looking as far off as well, in his own words, 

 " their children." (It is hardly for his children he 

 describes all that about his portfolios, shelves, etc.) 



The second piece is entitled, Reminiscences of my 



