310 THE COMING OF AGE OF [LECT. 



XII. 



THE COMING OF AGE OF "THE OKIGIN 

 OF SPECIES." 



MANY of you will be familiar with the aspect of this 

 small green-covered book. It is a copy of the first 

 edition of the " Origin of Species," and bears the date 

 of its production the 1st of October 1859. Only a 

 few months, therefore, are needed to complete the full 

 tale of twenty- one years since its birthday. 



Those whose memories carry them back to this 

 time will remember that the infant was remarkably 

 lively, and that a great number of excellent persons 

 mistook its manifestations of a vigorous individuality 

 for mere naughtiness ; in fact there was a very pretty 

 turmoil about its cradle. My recollections of the 

 period are particularly vivid ; for, having conceived a 

 tender affection for a child of what appeared to me to 

 be such remarkable promise, I acted for some time in 

 the capacity of a sort of under-nurse, and thus came 

 in for my share of the storms which threatened the 

 very life of the young creature. For some years it 

 was undoubtedly warm work ; but considering how 

 exceedingly unpleasant the apparition of the new- 

 comer must have been to those who did not fall in 



