284 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP. XI 



But this Sunday afternoon being, by the blessing of 

 God, as beastly a November day as you shall see, I have 

 attended to my spiritual side and been visited by a 

 blessing in the shape of some very pretty and unexpected 

 words anent rnyseP. 1 



In truth, it is right excellent story, though, being 

 distinctly in love with Eppie, I can only wonder how 

 you had the heart to treat her so ilL A girl like that 

 should have had two husbands one " wisely ranged for 

 show " and t'other de par amours. 



Don't ruin me with Mrs. Skelton by repeating this, 

 but please remember me very kindly to her. Ever yours 

 very faithfully, T. H. HUXLEY. 



The following letter to Tyndall was called forth 

 by an incident in connection with the starting of the 

 Nineteenth Century. Huxley had promised to help 

 the editor by looking over the proofs of a monthly 

 article on contemporary science. But his advertised 

 position as merely adviser in this to the editor was 

 overlooked by some who resented what they supposed 

 to be his assumption of the r61e of critic in general 



1 The passage referred to stands on p. 72 of The Crookit Meg, 

 and describes the village naturalist and philosopher, Adam 

 Meldrum, " who in his working hours cobbled old boats, and knew 

 by heart the plays of Shakespeare and the Psettdodoxia Epidemica 

 of Sir Thomas Browne." 



" For the rest it will be enough to add that this long, gaunt, 

 bony cobbler of old boats was was (may I take the liberty, Mr. 

 Professor ?) a village Huxley of the year One. The colourless 

 brilliancy of the great teacher's style, the easy facility with which 

 the drop of light forms itself into a perfect sphere as it falls from 

 his pen, belong indeed to a consummate master of the art of ex- 

 pression, which Adam of course was not ; but the mental lucidity, 

 justice, and balance, as well as the reserve of power, and the 

 Shakespearian gaiety of touch, which made the old man one of 

 the most delightful companions in the world, were essentially 

 Huxleian." 



