TYNDALL'S CHARACTER 351 



At our age we shall never know his equal for * pure and 

 high aims,' though such no doubt exist, nor ever hear of one 

 who could hold his unique position. 



I have never thanked you enough for the Essays, of which 

 I have read all but the Darwinian, for they come out rather 

 too fast for the reader, and so I lent the Darwinian whilst 

 reading the earlier. The two which I should choose as being 

 the first to re-read are ' Descartes ' and the ' Evolution of 

 Religion ' I like both so much. The Educational were 

 pleasant memories ; and here is Botany still holding its 

 sway in the Medical Curriculum ! I do pity the poor devils 

 of students just to glance at the vocabulary of hard words 

 which they are expected to attach some meaning to in some 

 thirty lectures is appalling. 



I do like you lecturing me on the preservation of my 

 health, 1 like it for its affection, and for the bitter irony 

 of it Satan rebuking sin. I do wrap up well and smoke 

 a cigar in the train to keep off the possibility of cold 

 draughts getting into my bronchial tubes, which are all 

 right so far. 



To the Same 



Jan. 28, 1894. 



No news is good news here. I hope you can repeat it 

 after me ; long may it last to both of us. 



I have a splendid fur coat, a historical one : it was Lyell's, 

 who left it to Symonds, and he to me. I well remember 

 hoisting Lyell into it on the last occasion on which he dined 

 at the Phil: Club. With this and the last Vol. of the ' Essays ' 

 (for which many thanks) and a cigar, I travel to and from 

 Kew on three days a week weather permitting. 



In 1893 and 1894 Mr. La Touche was for a time threatened 

 with blindness. In this connexion, two letters to him may 

 be quoted. 



September 29, 1893. 



MY DEAR LA TOUCHE, I am indeed glad to know that 

 your Medical man has been able to pronounce so favorable 



1 Huxley had written (Dec. 30) : * Now, my dear old friend, take care of 

 yourself in the coming year '94. I'll stand by you as long as the fates will let 

 me, and you must be equally " Johnnie." ' 



