FRIENDS. 



19 



round his chair. In these conversations there was always 

 a good deal of fun, and, speaking generally, there was either 

 a humorous turn in his talk, or a sunny geniality which 

 served instead. Perhaps my recollection of a pervading ele- 

 ment of humour is the more vivid, because the best talks were 

 with Mr. Huxley, in whom there is the aptness which is akin 

 to humour, even when humour itself is not there. My father 

 enjoyed Mr. Huxley's humour exceedingly, and would often 

 say, "What splendid fun Huxley is ! " I think he probably 

 had more scientific argument (of the nature of a fight) with 

 Lyell and Sir Joseph Hooker. 



He used to say that it grieved him to find that for the 

 friends of his later life he had not the warm affection of 

 his youth. Certainly in his early letters from Cambridge 

 he gives proofs of very strong friendship for Herbert and 

 Fox ; but no one except himself would have said that his 

 affection for his friends was not, throughout life, of the 

 warmest possible kind. In serving a friend he would not 

 spare himself, and precious time and strength were willingly 

 given. He undoubtedly had, to an unusual degree, the power 

 of attaching his friends to him. He had many warm friend- 

 ships, but to Sir Joseph Hooker he was bound by ties of 

 affection stronger than we often see among men. He wrote 

 in his ' Recollections,' '' I have known hardly any man more 

 lovable than Hooker." 



His relationship to the village people was a pleasant one ; 

 he treated them, one and all, with courtesy, when he came in 

 contact with them, and took an interest in all relating to 

 their welfare. Some time after he came to live at Down he 

 helped to found a Friendly Club, and served as treasurer for 

 thirty years. He took much trouble about the club, keep- 

 ing its accounts with minute and scrupulous exactness, and 

 taking pleasure in its prosperous condition. Every Whit- 

 Monday the club used to march round with band and banner, 

 and paraded on the lawn in front of the house. There he met 

 them, and explained to them their financial position in a little 

 speech seasoned with a few well worn jokes. He was often 



