First Acquaintance with Herbert Spencer. 113 



of the educational claims of science. I thought also that 

 if our house had the management of the work I might pos- 

 sibly in various small ways contribute to urge it forward; 

 for we have found on this side that the straight and narrow 

 way that leads right up to the heaven of success is travers- 

 able by but one motor namely, push. And although in a 

 house of great business, with numerous departments in 

 rigorous discipline, the general movement is steady and 

 automatic, and all things thrown into the hopper are 

 ground out at the usual rate, still the machinery is not 

 without reducing and multiplying gear and some chance 

 for crowding. So I asked the gentlemen to drive on with 

 the book and do the best they could for the author. They 

 promised, and when Mr. W. H. Appleton arrived from Eu- 

 rope, the day before yesterday morning, one hundred pages 

 of the work had been stereotyped. I was anxious to get 

 the volume on Education out at the earliest moment and 

 before the first part of the Series arrives. We do not exactly 

 know about that " Unknowable " ; we have great faith in it 

 undoubtedly, but we are sure of the weapon in hand and 

 would prefer to open the campaign with it. I therefore by 

 no means regret the delay of the first part, nor need you 

 trouble yourself to hasten it. 



After explaining- that the chance for the series at 

 Ticknor & Fields's was very discouraging, and that it 

 was better that Mr. Spencer should transact business 

 with but one house, he says : 



Mr. W. H. Appleton told me yesterday that the firm 

 would take the series and do the best it can with them. I 

 hope this change will be satisfactory to you, and that you 

 may not have placed the names of Ticknor & Fields upon 

 the first part, nor have sent the volumes yet. If you should 

 have printed their names on the title-page and cover, and 

 not have forwarded them, I would earnestly ask if it will 

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