WORK ESSENTIAL FOR DARWIN 63 



effort to him. In 1871 he went to the little village church 

 for the wedding of his elder daughter, but he could 

 hardly bear the fatigue of being present through the short 

 service." 



The holidays and recreations in which men 

 find relief from overwork and gain renewed 

 strength were closed to Darwin. He rarely left 

 his home except when his researches were inter- 

 rupted by illness, and it was hoped that a change 

 of air or visit to a hydropathic establishment 

 would enable him to resume work on his return 

 home. This alone could bring him comfort, and, 

 although never entirely idle during his enforced 

 absence, for this he was longing all the time. 

 The inevitable conditions under which Darwin 

 could keep up his slender stock of health and 

 strength and continue his work are expressed 

 again and again in his correspondence. A few 

 passages bearing on the subject are quoted 

 below, and others will be found in Appendix C, 

 p. 256 ; and in the series of nineteen letters 

 to Mr. Koland Trimen on pp. 218-46. Eeferences 

 to the limits imposed by health are to be found 

 in nine of these letters, viz. Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 

 17, 18, and 19. Darwin has been wrongly judged 

 by many who have read his autobiography, is still 

 wrongly judged, as will be shown on pp. 79, 80, 

 and it is important, by repeated evidence, to show 

 the true cause of the changes which he described 

 in himself. 



1 Life and Letters, i. 127, 128. 



