DEFENCE OF AGNOSTICISM 



237 



3 JEVINGTON GARDENS, EASTBOURNE, 

 Feb. 29, 1889. 



MY DEAR KNOWLES I have just been delighted with Mrs. 

 Ward's article. She has swept away the greater part of Wace's 

 sophistries as a dexterous and strong-wristed housemaid sweeps 

 away cobwebs with her broom, and saved a lot of time. 



What in the world does the Bishop mean by saying that I 

 have called Christianity " sorry stuff " (p. 370) ? To my knowl- 

 edge I never so much as thought anything of the kind, let alone 

 saying it. 



I shall challenge him very sharply about this, and if, as I 

 believe, he has no justification for his statement, my opinion of 

 him will be very considerably lowered. 



Wace has given me a lovely opening by his profession of 

 belief in the devils going into the swine. I rather hoped I should 

 get this out of him. 



I find people are watching the game with great interest, and 

 if it should be possible for me to give a little shove to the " New 

 Reformation " I shall think the fag end of my life well spent. 



After all, the reproach made to the English people that " they 

 care for nothing but religion and politics " is rather to their 

 credit. In the long run these are the two things that ought to 

 interest a man more than any others. 



I have been much bothered with ear-ache lately, but if all 

 goes well I will send you a screed by the middle of March. 



Snowing hard ! They have had more snow within the last 

 month than they have known for ten years here. Ever yours 

 faithfully, T. H. HUXLEY. 



He set to work immediately, and within ten day de- 

 spatched his second contribution, " Agnosticism, a Rejoin- 

 der," which appeared in the April number of the Nineteenth 

 Century. 



On March 3 he writes : 



I am possessed by a writing demon, and have pretty well 

 finished in the rough another article for Knowles, whose mouth 

 is wide open for it. 



And on the Qth : 



I sent off another article to Knowles last night a regular 

 facer for the clericals. You can't think how I enjoy writing 

 now for the first time in my life. 



