382 THOMAS HENRY HUXLEY xxm 



great interest in and familiarity with microscopic manipulation, 

 especially as applied to the structure of lowly organised animal 

 forms then rather in its infancy was a strong bond of 

 sympathy with Huxley. In 1852-54 they translated and 

 edited jointly Kolliker's Manual of Human Histology, published 

 by the Sydenham Society. This fact shows that Huxley had 

 already made himself proficient in the German language, as 

 he had also, while on board the Rattlesnake, taught himself 

 Italian, with the main object of being able to read Dante in 

 the original, so wide were his interests and sympathies. 



It was through Busk that I first became acquainted with 

 Huxley. This was shortly before his marriage, the incidents 

 connected with which were of a somewhat romantic character. 

 When the Rattlesnake was in Sydney Harbour the officers 

 were invited to a ball, and young Huxley among the number. 

 There for the first time he met his future wife, whose parents 

 resided at Sydney. A few days after they were engaged, and 

 the ship sailed for the Torres Straits to complete the survey of 

 the north coast of Australia, all communication being cut off 

 for months at a time, and then returned direct to England. 

 At the end of seven years, on Huxley's appointment to the 

 School of Mines, he was in a position to claim his bride, and 

 welcome her to their first home in St. John's Wood. He often 

 used to say that to engage the affections of a young girl under 

 these circumstances, knowing that he would have to leave her 

 for an indefinite time, and with only the remotest prospect of 

 ever marrying, was an act most strongly to be reprobated, and 

 he often held it out as a warning to his children never to do 

 anything of the kind, and yet they all married young and all 

 happily. Huxley's love at first sight and constancy during 

 those seven long years of separation were richly rewarded, for 

 it is impossible to imagine a pair more thoroughly suited. I 

 cannot help relating a little incident which clings to my 

 memory, though it happened full thirty years ago. A 

 rather cynical and vulgar-minded acquaintance of mine said 

 to me one day : " I saw Huxley in a box at the Drury Lane 

 Theatre last night. Can you tell me who was the lady with 

 him ? " After a few words of description I said : " Oh, that 

 was Mrs. Huxley." " Indeed," he said ; " I thought it could 



