Popular Education, and Other Matters. 223 



racked with thinking, and have a world to do by mid- 

 October, but I believe in my book. I see Hedge is out in 

 the September Atlantic (which I shall get), on University 

 Reform. This is the subject of the age. England is full 

 of it, and if it were not for the infernal clangour of poli- 

 tics America would be, and it certainly will. Our politics 

 are now intense because we have nothing else to think of. 

 England has politics and religion, and that diminishes the 

 intensity. , 



September 8th. I have arranged with Macmillan to pub- 

 'lish my book, and he will begin stereotyping next week. 

 There is a sharp attack in this morning's Times on the 

 Classical Dogma. The time is ripe for the work I am 

 preparing. Huxley has sent me rough proofs of the Physi- 

 ology up to the 2o6th page, which I will forward in small 

 quantities. Ask Jay to advise me of what he receives, that 

 I may know if any are lost. I am proposing to leave about 

 the middle of October, or the moment I get through writing. 



September 28th. We dined at Huxley's last night. 

 Spencer and a Mr. and Mrs. Young were there, and Frances 

 Power Cobbe; and Frances is a power, or, at all events, a 

 bulk in the land ! Huxley is in a bad way ; he is un- 

 doubtedly failing from overwork. He is now, at the close 

 of his holiday, just as at its beginning, and Spencer is 

 worried about him. . . . After the party I finished my lec- 

 ture at three this morning, and was so excited that I did 

 not get a wink of sleep till five o'clock. Spencer leaves 

 town to-day at two for a fortnight's absence, and I ar- 

 ranged to call to-day at eleven to read my production to 

 him. With my tail feathers spread and in a state of in- 

 finite complacency I went, and returned trailing my glories 

 in the infernal London mud. 



Poor man ! What could he do ? There was but one 

 thing to do, and he did it, you had better believe. Faith- 

 ful indee4 are the cruelties of a friend. My lecture was 



