OLD FRIENDS : DEATH OF DARWIN 259 



But a heavier loss was soon to follow. On April 19, 1882, 

 lied Charles Darwin, the friend of forty years, in science the 

 illy and inspirer, in personal affection and intimate sympathy 

 ;he closest of his circle. Hooker's sorrow and weariness were 

 broken in upon by the request for an obituary notice to appear 

 in Nature. Happily he was spared this task to which he felt 

 sadly unequal. 



Kew : April 21, 1882. 



Dear Huxley, — Romanes, after asking me to write 

 the notice of Darwin for Nature, now telegraphs that you 

 had, unknown to him, been asked by the Sub-editor to 

 undertake it, and had accepted. 



I am right glad of it, as I am utterly unhinged and un- 

 fit for work and am not feeling well in my praecordia, and 

 have not been for some time — pray say nothing of this, but 

 I sometimes fear I shall have to seek rest if I would not that 

 it were found for me. Nothing but the feeling that I was 

 shrinking from duty induced me to assent to Romanes's 

 request. 



If I can help you with any notice of Darwin's early 

 life I will come over to you on Sunday. 



Up to the time of his going to Cambridge, though he had 

 flirted a little with Nat. Hist., he had no notion of pursuing 

 it, and had devoted himself to fox-hunting and partridges. 



I did not feel our loss yesterday, but to-day I am de- 

 pressed terribly, and a touching letter from Mrs. Darwin 

 quite upset me. 



I have heard nothing about the Abbey, though Spottis- 

 woode promised to telegraph the answer to me. I have no 

 fancy for the bitter taste of these ceremonials. — Ever, dear 

 old boy, yours, 



J. D. Hooker. 



Kew : April 24, 1882. 



Dear Huxley, — It is well indeed that I turned Darwin 

 over to you — the only idea I had parallel to yours was a 

 comparison with Faraday. I have sent your eloquent and 

 most impressive eloge on to Keltie, 1 with a note to send proof 

 to you. 



1 Dr. John Scott Keltie (1840) was for some years sub-editor of Nature, 

 becoming in 1885 Librarian, and 1892-1915 Secretary of the Royal Geographical 

 Society. 



