392 CHARLES ROBERT DARWIN. 



His manner was bright and animated, and his 

 face glowed in conversation. He enjoyed fun, had 

 a merry, ringing laugh, and a happy way of turn- 

 ing things. He said once, "Gray (Asa Gray of 

 Harvard College) often takes me to task for making 

 hasty generalizations; but the last time he was 

 here talking that way, I said to him, ' Now, Gray, 

 I have one more generalization to make, which is 

 not hasty ; and that is, the Americans are the most 

 delightful people I know.' " 



" He was particularly charming when ' chaffing ' 

 any one," says his son, " and in high spirits over 

 it. His manner at such times was light-hearted 

 and boyish, and his refinement of nature came out 

 most strongly. So, when he was talking to a lady 

 who pleased and amused him, the combination of 

 raillery and deference in his manner was delightful 

 to see. When my father had several guests, he 

 managed them well, getting a talk with each, 

 or bringing two or three together round his 

 chair. . . . 



" My father much enjoyed wandering slowly in 

 the garden with my mother or some of his children, 

 or making one of a party sitting out on a bench on 

 the lawn ; he generally sat, however, on the grass, 

 and I remember him often lying under one of the 

 big lime-trees, with his head on the green mound 

 at its foot." 



He had great perseverance in his work, and used 

 often to say, " It's dogged as does it ; " and " Sav- 

 ing the minutes is the way to get work done." It 



