108 Darwinism and Other Essays. 



mild blue eye never lighted with any other ex- 

 pression than placid good humour, and his voice 

 never varied its gentle monotony. His absolute 

 freedom from egotism made him slow to take of- 

 fence, and among the many accidents of contro- 

 versy there was none which could avail to ruffle 

 him. The patient deference with which he would 

 answer the silly remarks of stupid or conceited 

 people was as extraordinary as the untiring in- 

 terest with which he would seek to make things 

 plain to the least cultivated intelligence. This 

 kind of patient interest, joined with his sweet- 

 ness of disposition and winning simplicity of man- 

 ner, made him a great favourite with children. 

 He would amuse and instruct them by the hour 

 together with games and stories and conjurer's 

 tricks, in which he had acquired no mean pro- 

 ficiency. 



Along with this absence of emotional excita- 

 bility, Mr. Wright was characterized by the ab- 

 sence of aesthetic impulses or needs. He was 

 utterly insensible to music, and but slightly af- 

 fected by artistic beauty of any sort. Excepting 

 his own Sokratic presence, there never was any- 

 thing attractive about his room, or indeed any- 

 thing to give it an individual character. In ro- 

 mance, too, he was equally deficient : after his 



