192 Life and Letters of Francis Gallon 



my affectionate love to my dear Francis 1 .' " There can be little doul 

 that Francis was his Benjamin, and when on September 9 Tertius goes 

 to St Leonards in the hope that a change of air may effect some good. 

 Francis was chosen as his companion and nurse. The picture of father 

 and son together in the last few weeks of the former's life has been 

 preserved for us in the letters of Tertius to his home circle. They 

 went by way of Tunbridge Wells, whence Tertius writes to his 

 daughter Emma of a drive round the rocks with Francis. From St 

 Leonards we hear : 



Francis has sketched a little. He is an excellent travelling Physician and docs not 

 buckle on the muzzle too tightly as he used to do. You know my detestation of being 

 valetted, so when John comes in the morning for orders, I tell him to make himself 

 scarce; he employs much of his time in fossil-hunting and for ought I know the rest of 

 it in taking private lessons in the Polka to qualify him for dancing with Buswell and t lie- 

 rest of the maids on his return. 



I have not heard from Claverdon or of Mrs Cameron. I hope tomorrow's post will 

 bring me a letter. I am getting wonderfully stronger and can climb hills a la chamois. 

 If it were not for the dread of Hodgson blowing me up, I should plunge into the sea- 

 but Prudence and gout dictate that I should remain altogether a terrestrial animal. 



Francis sends his love. 



Your affectionate Father, 



S. TKHTIUS GALTON. 



Give my kind regards to Mr and Mrs Gurney [Emma was at St James Square] 



We are just returned from the aforesaid Meliboeus [Fairlight Glen trip], but could not 

 quite distinguish Louis Philippe on the other side of the Channel. 



A few days later Tertius writes cheerfully again : 



" The sea air has done wonders with me and tells every day so do not be surprised 

 if you see my name in the papers as having gained a prize at a cricket match. Francis 

 and myself have an occasional game at chess, but have not yet put the pack of cards into 

 requisition." 



These last weeks of affectionate intercourse remained a life-long 

 memory to the son. When 65 years later he received the Copley 

 Medal of the Royal Society, his first thought was how the news would 

 have delighted his father. It seemed a justification for deserting a 

 profession his father had chosen for him. 



From the date of these letters onwards Tertius' health failed 

 rapidly. On September 30 Emma Galton joined her father and 



1 Emma Galton writes again: "It would please him very much, if in a day or two 

 ...you would write him an affectionate letter. ..a letter from you is as good as a dozen 

 draughts." 



