CONCLUSION. 331 



as has been often observed have the deepest 

 sense and the keenest enjoyment of life. 



Still, though not a strong man, he was ap- 

 parently a healthy man. He lived at all times 

 a simple and a healthy life ; there was nothing 

 to show that he was going to be struck down 

 by so cruel an illness. 



The period of greatest suffering seems to 

 have been in the year 1884. The weakness 

 following it set in some time during the year 

 1885. 



He writes to Mr. Charles Longman in May 

 of the latter year : 



" Your suggestion" that he should write a 

 year-book of Nature " of a diary out of doors 

 would no doubt make a good book, and I shall 

 give serious thought to it. My great difficulty 

 is the physical difficulty of writing. Since the 

 spine gave way, there is no position in which 

 I can lie or sit so as to use a pen without 

 distress. Even a short letter like this is 

 painful. Consequently, a vast mass of ideas 

 go into space, for I cannot write them 

 down." 



