1877 A DISTRESSED MAN OF SCIENCE 231 



It happened that the quadrennial election of a 

 Lord Kector at St. Andrews University fell in this 

 year, and on behalf of a number of students, Huxley 

 received a telegram from his son, now newly entered 

 at St. Andrews, asking him to stand. He writes to 

 his wife : 



That boy of yours has just sent me a telegram, which 

 I enclose. I sent back message to say that as a 

 Commissioner on the Scotch Universities I could not 

 possibly stand. The cockerel is beginning to crow early. 

 I do believe that to please the boy I should have 

 assented to it if it had not been for the E. Commission. 



Apropos of controversies (November 23) 



We had a grand discussion at the Royal Society last 

 night between Tyndall and Burdon Sanderson. The 

 place was crammed, and we had a late sitting. I'm not 

 sure, however, that we had got much further at the end 

 than at the beginning, which is a way controversies have. 



The following story is worth recording, as an 

 illustration not only of the way in which Huxley 

 would give what help was in his power to another 

 man of science in distress, but of the ready aid 

 proffered on this, as on many other occasions, by a 

 wealthy northern merchant who was interested in 

 science. A German scientific worker in England, 

 whom we will call H., had fallen into distress, and 

 applied to him for help, asking if some work could 

 not be put in his way. Huxley could think of 

 nothing immediate but to suggest some lessons in 

 German literature to his children, though in fact 



