1883] Charles Darwin 



Sometimes there were eighteen or twenty young Darwins 

 or Wedgwoods in the house. Four-in-hand coaches used to 

 come down from London. Mr. Darwin liked children. They 

 didn't disturb him in the least. There were often twenty or 

 thirty pairs of little shoes to be cleaned of a morning, but I 

 assure you there were always plenty of servants to do it. 



The gardener used to bring plants into his room often of 

 a morning, and he used to tie bits of cotton to them, and try 

 to make them do things. He used to try all sorts of seeds. 

 He would sow them in pots in his study. ... He was a very A good 

 social, nice sort of a gentleman, very joking and jolly indeed; master 

 a good husband and a good father and a most excellent master. 

 Even his footmen used to stay with him as long as five years. 

 They would rather stay with him than take a higher salary 

 somewhere else. The cook came there while young and stayed 

 till his death nearly thirty years. 



There were a quantity of people in Westminster Abbey 

 when he was buried. I and the cook were among the chief 

 mourners and sat in the Jerusalem Chamber. The whole church 

 was as full of people as they could stand. There was great dis- 

 appointment in Down that he was not buried there. He loved 

 the place, and we think he would rather have rested there had 

 he been consulted. 



The landlord of the local "George Inn" was also 

 communicative : 



All the people wished to have Mr. Darwin buried in Down, Not with- 

 but the Government would not let him. It would have helped out honor 

 the place so much, for it would have brought hosts of people 

 down to see his grave. Especially it would have helped the 

 hotel business, which is pretty dull in winter time. Mr. Darwin 

 was a very fine-looking man. He had a high forehead and wore 

 a long beard. Still, if you had met him on the street, perhaps 

 you would not have taken much notice of him unless you knew 

 that he was a clever man. 



Several persons had a good deal to say of Dar- 

 win's extensive and judicious charities. During the 



C 273 3 



