24 MY LIFE 



process oi evolution by whidl the whole universe had heen 

 brought to its present condition. So we had to wait and 

 work contentedly at minor problems. And now. after forty 

 ars, though Spencer and Darwin and Weismann have thrown 

 floods of light on the phenomena of life, it- essential nature 



and its origin remain as great a mystery as ever. Whatever 

 light we do possess is from a source which Spencer and Dar- 

 win neglected or ignored. 



In 1865, when Spencer was, I believe, one of the editors of 

 The Reader, he asked me to write an article on the treatment 

 of savage races, with special reference to some cases of 

 the barbarity of settlers in Australia that had recently been 

 published. This I did, and the article appeared in the issue 

 of June 17. Ten years later, on November 13, 1875, he wrote 

 to ask me where and when this article had appeared, adding, 

 " I ask the question because I contemplate giving Dr. Bridges 

 a castigation for the unwarranted sneer at the close of his 

 article in the Fortnightly." I may add that I have reprinted 

 my article (with some additions referring to recent facts) in 

 my " Studies Scientific and Social," vol. ii., p. 107. 



The first letter I received from Spencer was when I sent 

 him my paper on " The Origin of Human Races under the 

 Law of Natural Selection." He said that he had read it with 

 great interest, and added, " Its leading idea is, I think, 

 undoubtedly true," concluding with a hope that I would pursue 

 the inquiry. 



Soon afterwards he invited me to dine with him in Bays- 

 water, where he lived for many years in a boarding-house 

 with rather a commonplace set of people — retired Indian 

 officers and others ; and I afterwards visited him there several 

 times. I was amused, when some popular error was solemnly 

 put forth at dinner as the explanation of some phenomenon, 

 Spencer would coolly tell them that it was quite incorrect, 

 and then proceed to explain why it was so, and on principles 

 of evolution could not be otherwise. In the evening, after we 

 had had a little private conversation, we would go into the 

 drawing-room where there was music, and Spencer would 



