90 REMINISCENCES. |"Ch. IV. 



familiar intercourse did not diminish. One felt that he was 

 the last person with whom anyone would wish to take a liberty, 

 nor do I remember an instance of such a thing occurring to 

 him. 



When my father had several guests he managed them well, 

 getting a talk with each, or bringing two or three together 

 round his chair. In these conversations there was always a 

 good deal of fun, and, speaking generally, there was either a 

 humorous turn in his talk, or a sunny geniality which served 

 instead. Perhaps my recollection of a pervading element of 

 humour is the more vivid, because the best talks were with 

 Mr. Huxley, in whom there is the aptness which is akin to 

 humour, even when humour itself is not there. My father 

 enjoyed Mr. Huxley's humour exceedingly, and would often 

 say, " What splendid fun Huxley is ! " I think he probably 

 had more scientific argument (of the nature of a fight) with 

 Lyell and Sir Joseph Hooker. 



He used to say that it grieved him to find that for the 

 friends of his later life he had not the warm affection of his 

 youth. Certainly in his early letters from Cambridge he gives 

 proofs of strong friendship for Herbert and Fox; but no 

 one except himself would have said that his affection for his 

 friends- was not, throughout life, of the warmest possible kind. 

 In serving a friend he would not spare himself, and precious 

 time and strength were willingly given. He undoubtedly had, 

 to an unusual degree, the power of attaching his friends to him. 

 He had many warm friendships, but to Sir Joseph Hooker he 

 was bound by ties of affection stronger than we often see among 

 men. He wrote in his Becollections, " I have known hardly 

 any man more lovable than Hooker." 



His relationship to the village people was a pleasant one ; 

 he treated them, one and all, with courtesy, when he came in 

 contact with them, and took an interest in all relating to their 

 welfare. Some time after he came to live at Down he helped 

 to found a Friendly Club, and served as treasurer for thirty 

 years. Ho took much trouble about the club, keeping its 

 accounts with minute and scrupulous exactness, and taking 

 pleasure in its prosperous condition. Every Whit-Monday the 

 club marched round with band and banner and paraded on the 

 lawn in front of the house. There he met them, and explained 

 to them their financial position in a little speech seasoned with 

 a few well-worn jokes. He was often unwell enough to make 

 even this little ceremony an exertion, but I think he never 

 failed to meet them. 



He was also treasurer of the Coal Club, which gave him a 



