124 CHARLES DARWIN 



to a scientific opportunism, preferred for the moment to 

 stand by expectant and await the result of the European 

 consensus. But philosophical Germany, on the other 

 hand, beaming enthusiasm from its myriad spectacles, 

 eagerly welcomed the novel ideas, and proclaimed from 

 the housetops the evolutionary faith as a main plank in 

 the rising platform of the newly-roused Kulturkampf. 

 Fritz Miiller began with all the ardour of a fresh con- 

 vert to collect his admirable ' Facts for Darwin ; ' his 

 brother Hermann sat down with indomitable patience, 

 like the master's own, to watch the ceaseless action of 

 the bees and butterflies in the fertilisation of flowers. 

 Riitimeyer applied the Darwinian principles to the 

 explanation of mammalian relationships, and Haeckel 

 set to work upon his vast reconstructive ' History of 

 Creation,' a largely speculative work which, with all its 

 faults, distinctly carried forward the evolutionary im- 

 pulse, and set fresh researchers working upon new lines, 

 to confirm or to disprove its audacious imaginings. In 

 America, Asa Gray gave to the young creed the high 

 authority of his well-known name, and Chauncey 

 Wright helped it onward on the road with all the re- 

 strained force of his singular and oblique but powerful 

 and original personality If Agassiz and Dawson still 

 hesitated, Fiske and Youmans were ardent in the 

 faith. If critical Boston put up its eye-glass doubt- 

 fully, Chicago and St. Louis were ready for conversion. 

 Everywhere Darwin and Darwinism became as house- 

 hold words ; it was the singular fate of the great 

 prophet of evolution, alone almost among the sons of 

 men, to hear his own name familiarly twisted during 

 his own lifetime into a colloquial adjective, and to see 



