132 Charles Darwin. 



ivy and embowered in elms, there stepped out to meet 

 me from the shady porch, overgrown with creeping 

 plants, the great naturalist himself, a tall and ven- 

 erable figure, with the shoulders of an Atlas support- 

 ing a world of thoughts, his Jupiter-like forehead 

 highly and broadly arched, as in the case of Goethe, 

 and deeply furrowed by the mental plough of labour ; 

 his kindly mild eyes looking forth under the shadow 

 of prominent brows ; his amiable mouth surrounded 

 by a copious silver-white beard. The cordial, pre- 

 possessing expression of the whole face, the gentle 

 mild voice, the slow, deliberate utterance, the natural 

 and naive train of ideas which marked his conversa- 

 tion, captivated my whole heart in the first hour of 

 our meeting, just as his great work had formerly, on 

 my first reading it, taken my whole understanding 

 by storm. I fancied a lofty world sage out of Hellenic 

 antiquity — a Socrates or Aristotle stood before me." 



While Darwin was an invalid in every sense, and a 

 great sufferer, he did not receive credit for it. His 

 herculean form and a ruddy countenance conveyed 

 the impression of perfect health. In a letter to Dr. 

 Hooker he says : " Every one tells me I look quite 

 blooming and beautiful ; and most think I am sham- 

 ming, but you have never been one of those." 



Generally Darwin wore a large black cloak and 

 slouch hat, when indoors throwing a shawl around 

 his shoulders and drawing over his shoes fur-lined 

 slippers. His habits of work and a desire to econo- 

 mise time made him an early riser, and after a short 

 walk he breakfasted about a quarter of eight, then 

 retiring to his study, considering the hours previous 



