412 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY cHAP. 



father's heart was the prototype of Sandy in Mrs. 

 Humphry Ward's David Ghieve. When the book 

 came out my father wrote to the author : " We are 

 very proud of Julian's apotheosis. He is a most 

 delightful imp, and the way in which he used to 

 defy me on occasion, when he was here, was quite 

 refreshing. The strength of his conviction that 

 people who interfere with his freedom are certainly 

 foolish, probably wicked, is quite Gladstonian." 



A year after, when Julian had learned to write, 

 and was reading the immortal Water Babies, Avherein 

 fun is poked at his grandfather's name among the 

 authorities on water-babies and water-beasts of every 

 description, he greatly desired more light as to the 

 reality of water - babies. There is a picture by 

 Linley Sambourne, showing my father and Owen 

 examining a bottled water-baby under big magnifying 

 glasses. Here, then, was a real authority to consult. 

 So he wrote a letter of inquiry, first anxiously asking 

 his mother if he would receive in reply a " proper 

 letter " that he could read for himself, or a " wrong 

 kind of letter " that must be read to him. 



Dear Grandpater — Have you seen a Water baby? 

 Did you put it in a bottle ? Did it wonder if it could 

 get out ? Can I see it some day ? — Your loving 



Julian. 



To this he received the following reply from his 

 grandfather, neatly printed, letter by letter, very 

 unlike the orderly confusion with which his pen 

 usually rushed across the paper — time being so short 



