DARWIN AND DELUSION. 6 



Presumption and assumption are widely different ; 

 and I Avould say to all my juniors, '^ Assume 

 nothing, but presume to hope and ask for all." 



Being, then, as I have said, a presumptuous boy, 

 my nature inclined me to think for myself; but 

 this inclination, whenever it showed itself in a 

 desire to question the w^isdom of my elders, was 

 immediately repressed, and imi^ressed^ by a nut 

 stick, which I did not much care for, but, worse 

 still, by threats that if I did not mend I should 

 eventually be sent to reside with a demon wdiom 

 Darwin, the Duke of Somerset, and other noble and 

 learned men, have since declared to be a ruminat- 

 ing animal or a myth. When groAvn to manhood, 

 when those I loved with all my heart and soul (I 

 use this word without fear of Darwin or the Devil) 

 had revolved with a revolving world, reversed their 

 position towards me, and reft of all the sunshine 

 they could cloud the heart once so joyous, even then 

 my mind would turn to those earlier hours, with a 

 yearning to go back to them, with a singleness of 

 purpose, and a deep devotion, perhaps, seldom felt 

 in man's estate * 



The shock was rude that slioolc my faith in the 



threatened horrors to be expected from that black 



d2 



