BOSTON TO WASHINGTON 119 



I was also made free of Cosmos Club, where I went to read 

 papers and magazines. Soon after my arrival Mr. Riley took 

 me to one of the evening receptions, where I met most of the 

 scientific men and women of Washington, and was introduced 

 to many of them. Most of them told me they had read my 

 books, and several said that my " Malay Archipelago ' had 

 first led them to take an interest in natural history and its 

 more general problems. Here, at one time or another, I met 

 almost all the scientific men of Washington and many of those 

 from other States. One evening I was taken by Major and 

 Mrs. Powell to a meeting of the Literary Society at the house 

 of Mr. Nordhoff, author of an important work on the com- 

 munistic societies of the United States, and a very advanced 

 thinker. Here I met hosts of people who were really too 

 polite and enthusiastic — " proud to meet me ; ' "honour and 

 pleasure never expected ; " " read my books all their life ! ' 

 etc. — leaving me speechless with amazement! 



The event of the evening was a paper by Mr. Kennan, 

 describing his recent visit, on his return from Siberia, to 

 Count Tolstoi, the great Russian novelist, philanthropist, and 

 non-resisting nihilist. It was a very clever, sympathetic, and 

 suggestive picture of a man described as " a true social hero — 

 one of the Christ type." I often dined at Mr. NordhofT's and 

 met many interesting people there, and spent several pleasant 

 evenings with his highly intellectual family. Among the 

 celebrities I met there were Mrs. Hodgson Burnett, none of 

 whose works I had then read; Captain Greely, the Arctic 

 explorer; and Senator and Mrs. Stanford, whom I afterwards 

 visited in California. 



When settled at the hotel I was allotted a place to take my 

 meals, at a table where there were five other persons Not 

 knowing the etiquette of such a position, I did not begin con- 

 versation till, I think, the second day, a gentleman and lady of 

 middle age introduced themselves as Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong, 

 and we soon became quite friendly. They had a private sitting- 

 room in the hotel, and I often had afternoon tea with them 

 or spent the evening; and as they were educated people inter- 

 ested in science and literature, while Mr. Armstrong was a 



