112 Life and Letters of Francis Gallon 



Francis is undoubtedly growing into a bit of a beau, although he 

 makes fun of his needs throughout. The letter concludes with his 

 accounts, the terrible tailor, "washing bill (not salts)," "medicine, a 

 fearful quantity for indigestion, boils, carbuncle etc." 9.s., " Luncheon 

 and Dinner" 6s., " Head and Neck" 8s. 9o?., etc. To those who study 

 the development of human character it is of extraordinary interest to 

 watch the cross currents working at this time in the young man's 

 mind. There is the social cun-ent with the love of country pursuits 

 which had dominated several of Francis' near relatives and collaterals ; 

 thei'e is the observing "clinical" inclination, which had carried other 

 relatives and collaterals into medicine and natural science, and then 

 there is the love of mathematics and physics, which was again to 

 manifest itself in other kinsmen. I doubt whether anyone watching 

 the youth closely or reading his letters of those days would have been 

 able to predict whether Francis Galton would end as a social leader, 

 a country gentleman, a doyen of the medical faculty, or a noteworthy 

 man of science. Tastes inherited from Beau Colyear, Erasmus Darwin, 

 and Samuel Galton — wit and literary instinct, scientific imagination, 

 power of organisation, with not a little Barclay tenacity were fermenting 

 in a youthful mind, and none could have foretold with which victory 

 would remain, or how they would ultimately be balanced. Examine 

 Francis Galton's letters in these Lehrjahre superficially, and they 

 amuse as their humour and boyish freshness necessitate. But behind 

 this, those who can read between the lines will find a most instructive 

 study in character development, one in which we seem to see not 

 environment but innate tendencies contesting for mastership, and the 

 environment itself is changed as each reaches control. None but the 

 most careless i^eader could deny that the mind was seeking and making 

 its environment, and not the environment moulding the mind. 



When Francis Galton got back to Spring Gardens after the 

 Christmas vacation we find one of his rare letters to his mother : 



Jan. Qfh, Monday [1840]. 

 My dear Mother, 



I have been a wise person, tliat I liave! Run away with Darwin's Dress Coat 

 and left my own. Please send me mine by return of coach as in case of a party I have 

 nothing to wear. I am full of contrition, etc., etc. 



Now as I am writing T may as well tell you how I got here. As I got into the 

 Coventry and Leamington Omnibus I saw at the other end a paii of tliundering 



