BETIKEMENT FKOM KEW 267 



also, though full of vigour, and indeed continuing an ordinary- 

 man's share of labour for another quarter of a century, he would 

 not wait to have it whispered either that he was growing feeble 

 or that, being hale, his ideals belonged to a bygone stage of 

 progress. 



Accordingly he retired to his ' Tusculum ' among the 

 pinewoods of Sunningdale, whence he could easily reach Kew 

 to work in the Herbarium at his Indian Flora and other 

 books. 



True to his principle that testimonialising paid official ser- 

 vices is (except in very rare cases) inexpedient, and even mis- 

 chievous — liable to great abuse, a burthen to the poor, and 

 setting a very bad example (as he wrote to Huxley in March 

 1879), he got his intimate friends to choke off any proposal of 

 the kind. He was pleased, however, by the warmth of the 

 official expressions in regard to his own and his father's 

 services. 



To Asa Gray 



December 2, 1885. 



I am pretty busy — changing quarters, putting old wine 

 into new bottles, stuffing the contents of a big house into 

 a small one, making over charge of Garden duties, and ex- 

 cogitating plans for putting Dyer at his ease in the shape of 

 providing an office, and such scientific assistance as I can get 

 for him. I am deep in Indian Laurels (they are perfectly 

 dreadful). I have just sent Bentham's Flora to press. I 

 am on the Councils of the Eoyal and Geographical, and I 

 have to find time for bed and meals — I forgot that I have 

 the Bot. Mag. ever before me too. 



My wife lives at the Camp and comes up and down after 

 the furniture, books, and goods and chattels of all sorts. 

 I am taking most of my books down and shelving two rooms 

 at the Camp. I wanted to part with the birds and some 

 Wedgwoods, but she will not, so the Camp resembles a 

 Dry Goods Store. As for me, I shall be here till Xmas, 

 except Saturday to Monday at Camp. It is ghastly sitting 

 with empty shelves and no pictures, but then I am utterly 

 quiet and get through a lot of work and correspondence, 

 for all the world writes to condole or congratulate, with 



