14 HUXLEY 



Half-past ten at night. Waiting for my child. I 

 seem to fancy it the pledge that all these things shall 

 be. 



Born five minutes before twelve. Thank God. 

 New- Year's Day, 1857. 1 



On the 20th September, i860, a year that was to 



" show " so much, there was made the last entry in 



the journal, telling what lifelong sorrow fell upon a 



great and tender soul. 



And the same child, our Noel, our first-born, after 

 being for nearly four years our delight and our joy, 

 was carried off by scarlet fever in forty-eight hours. 

 This day week he and I had a great romp together. 

 On Friday his restless head, with its bright blue eyes 

 and tangled golden hair, tossed all day upon his 

 pillow. On Saturday night, the fifteenth, I carried 

 him here into my study, and laid his cold still body 

 here where I write. Here too, on Sunday night, 

 came his mother and I to that holy leave-taking. 



My boy is gone ; but in a higher and better sense 

 than was in my mind when I wrote four years ago 

 what stands above, I feel that my fancy has been ful- 

 filled. I say heartily, and without bitterness — Amen, 

 so let it be. 2 



In a very remarkable letter, written at this time to 

 Charles Kingsley in reply to one setting forth the 

 warrant for belief in immortality, the attitude of 

 Huxley from his youth upwards towards the current 

 theology is shown clearly. 3 He sees no justification 

 for the belief; the arguments in its favour are to his 



1 I. I5I. 2 I. 152. 3 1. 217-222. 



