I90 SIR GEORGE DARWIN 



In these and similar cases there was always the 

 touch of personal sympathy. For instance, he 

 pensioned the widow of his gardener, and he often 

 made the payment of her weekly allowance the 

 excuse for a visit. 



In another sort of charity he was equally kind- 

 hearted, viz., in answering the people who wrote 

 foolish letters to him on scientific subjects — and 

 here as in many points he resembled his father. 



His sister, Mrs. Litchfield, has truly said^ of 

 George, that he inherited his father'spower of work 

 and much of his "cordiality and warmth of nature, 

 with a characteristic power of helping others." 

 He resembled his father in another quahty, that of 

 modesty. His friend and pupil. Professor E. W. 

 Brown, writes : 



He was always modest about the import- 

 ance of his researches. He would often wonder 

 whether the results were worth the labour they 

 had cost him, and whether he would have been 

 better employed in some other way. 



His nephew Bernard, speaking of George's way 

 of taking pains to be friendly and forthcoming to 

 anyone with whom he came in contact, says : 



He was ready to take other people's 

 pleasantness and politeness at its apparent 

 value and not to discount it. If they seemed 

 glad to see him, he believed that they were 

 glad. If he liked somebody, he beheved that 

 the somebody liked him, and did not worry 



* Emma Dartvin, A Century of Family Letters, 1915, Vol., 11., 

 p. 146. 



