His Appearance. 239 



and finally through one of those characteristic Eng- 

 lish lanes, just wide enough for one vehicle, and 

 worn down several feet below the general level — the 

 sense of confinement being enhanced by the lux- 

 uriant hedge on either side. This lane skirts the 

 orchard wall for one hundred yards and then goes in 

 front of the house, from which it is separated by a 

 grass plot and flint wall overgrown with ivy. 



The Darwin residence is a plain, but spacious, old- 

 fashioned house of the style so common in England, 

 and which, with the surrounding well-kept grounds 

 and conservatory, conveys that impression of ease 

 and comfort that belong to the average home of the 

 English country-gentleman. A noticeable feature 

 is a bow window extending through three stories 

 and covered with trellis and creepers. In Darwinian 

 phrase, the environment was favourable for just such 

 calm study and concentration as he found necessary 

 to his health and his researches. 



Upon introduction I was at once struck with his 

 stature (which was much above the average, and I 

 should say fully six feet), his ponderous brow, and 

 long white beard — the moustache being cut on a line 

 with the lips and slightly brown from the habit of 

 snuff-taking. His deep-set eyes were light blue-gray. 



He made the impression of a powerful man re- 

 duced somewhat by sickness. The massive brow 

 and forehead show in his later photographs, but not 

 so conspicuously as in a life-size head of him when 

 younger, which hung in the parlour. 



In the brief hours I then spent at Down the pro- 

 verbial modesty and singular simplicity and sweet- 



