4 io LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP, xxn 



But whether it is vanity or something a good deal better, 

 I am not. One gets chill old age, and it is very pleasant to be 

 warmed up unexpectedly even against one's injunctions. More- 

 over, my wife is very pleased, not to say jubilant; and if I were 

 made Archbishop of Canterbury I should not be able to con- 

 vince her that my services to Theology were hardly of the sort 

 to be rewarded in that fashion. 



I need not say what I think about your action in the matter, 

 my faithful old friend. With our love to you both Ever yours, 



T. H. HUXLEY. 



I suppose you are all right again, as you write from the R.S. 

 Liver permitting I shall attend meeting and dinner. It is very 

 odd that the Medal should come along with my pronouncement 

 in Nature, which I hope you like. I cut out rather a stinging 

 paragraph at the end. 



HODESLEA, EASTBOURNE, Nov. n, 1894. 



MY DEAR DONNELLY Why on earth did I not answer your 

 letter before? Echo (being Irish) says, "Because of your in- 

 fernal bad habit of putting off; which is growing upon you, you 

 wretched old man." 



Of course I shall be very glad if anything can be done for 



S . Howes has written to me about him since your letter 



arrived and I am positively going to answer his epistle. It's 

 Sunday morning, and I feel good. 



You will have seen that the R.S. has been giving me the 

 Darwin Medal, though I gave as broad a hint as was proper the 

 last time I spoke at the Anniversary, that it ought to go to the 

 young men. Nevertheless, with the ordinary inconsistency of 

 the so-called " rational animal," I am well pleased. 



I hope you will be at the dinner, and would ask you to be 

 my guest but as I thought my boys and boys-in-law would like 

 to be there, I have already exceeded my lawful powers of invita- 

 tion and had to get a dispensation from Michael Foster. 



I suppose I shall be like a horse that " stands at livery " for 

 some time after but it is positively my last appearance on any 

 stage. 



We were very glad to hear from Lady Donnelly that you 

 had had a good and effectual holiday. With our love Ever 

 yours, T. H. HUXLEY. 



I return Howes' letter in case you want it. I see I need not 

 write to him again after all. Three cheers ! 



Please give Lady Donnelly this. A number of estimable 



