3?2 MY LIFE 



reply, as it is difficult to believe in such a widespread blunder. 

 But so far as the statistics with which you deal go — and that 

 is very far — I cannot imagine a convincing answer. I am much 

 obliged to you for letting me see the pamphlet; and I shall 

 hand it on to Sir John Gorst, with your letter and a letter 

 of my own. 



" The unveracity of W. B. Carpenter, and especially of 

 Ernest Hart, ought not to surprise me after what I already 

 knew of their standards in controversy; but it is staggering 

 all the same." 



Such a letter from so clear a reasoner and so thoroughly 

 honest and impartial a writer, was very satisfactory to me; 

 but some months later, in September, 1898, I received the 

 following quite unsolicited testimonial from a perfect stranger 

 to me — Lord Grimthorpe — an opponent in politics, but being 

 a King's Counsel and a mathematician, as well as an able 

 writer, was well fitted to form an opinion upon a rather com- 

 plex statistical problem. 



The letter is as follows : — 



"Batch Wood, St. Albans, September 14, 1898. 

 " To Dr. Alfred R. Wallace. 



" Sir, 



" I dare say you will excuse my troubling you with 

 this letter on a subject on which I do not profess to be an 

 expert, but on which it may again be my duty to form a 

 legislative judgment. Last session I was not able to go up 

 and sit through two probably late debates to vote ; and, indeed, 

 I had not then made up my mind as I have now, though I 

 had written a short letter to the Times on the vacillation of 

 the Government about the Vaccination Bill. 



" Since then I have been reading the chapter about it in 

 your recent book, the ' Wonderful Century,' and the sub- 

 sequent letters in the Times; and those of yesterday, especially 

 Dr. Bond's, move me to tell you that, absurd as his statement 

 about your ' only three converts ' is, he and his associates may 

 add me to their number. I do not profess to have wandered 



