ON THE "FIELD" AND "QUEEN" 155 



transformation as observed in captivity (the 

 Field, April 16th, 1870), a Cambridge friend 

 referred to him in a neat paraphrase as having 

 " the wisdom of the axolotl and the harmless- 

 ness of the homing pigeon " — a sentiment hugely 

 enjoyed by all who heard it, and regarded by 

 the victim as a compliment. 



Referring once more to those conflicts of 

 opinion which inevitably arose in the case of 

 so strong-minded and strong-willed an employee 

 as Tegetmeier, I have before me an old proof 

 of an article on the Women's Suffrage question, 

 which from internal evidence and the fact that 

 it was among his papers I infer was not published, 

 or if printed in the Queen, re-written towards 

 its end, where it deals faithfully with what is 

 described as " the worst hereditary disease that 

 can afflict humanity." The increase of this 

 ailment was instanced as the " most marked 

 result of female interference and senseless, senti- 

 mental agitation." Owing to this interference 

 of women " acting from the purest and noblest 

 of sentiments, but without the slightest knowledge 

 of the effect of their proceedings," he wrote, " a 

 bitter cry has come from India," where the great 

 majority of the army was invalided with results 

 disastrous to the health of soldiers' wives, and 

 of the children who suffered " unto the third 

 and fourth generation " for the sins of the 

 fathers. " That women and their children should 



