52 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP. Ill 



alone of his family felt with him that complete and 

 vivid sympathy which is so necessary to the full 

 development of such a nature. When he was four- 

 teen this sister married and left home, but the bond 

 between them was not broken. In some ways it 

 was strengthened by the lad's love for her children ; 

 by his grief, scarcely less than her own, at the death 

 of her eldest little girl. Moreover they were brought 

 into close companionship for a considerable time 

 when, after his dismal period of apprenticeship at 

 Kotherhithe to which he could never look back 

 without a shudder he came to work under her 

 husband. She had encouraged him in his studies; 

 had urged him to work for the Botanical prize at 

 Sydenham College ; had brightened his life with her 

 sympathy, and believed firmly in the brilliant future 

 which awaited him a belief which for her sake, if 

 for nothing else, he was eager to justify by his best 

 exertions. 



He had not had, so far, much opportunity of 

 entering the social world; but his visit to Sydney 

 gave him an opportunity of entering a good society 

 to which his commission in the navy was a sufficient 

 introduction. He was eager to find friendships if he 

 could, for his reserve was anything but misanthropic. 

 It was not long before he made the acquaintance of 

 William Macleay, a naturalist of wide research and 

 great speculative ability ; l and struck up a close 



1 William Sharp Macleay, 1792-1865, who went to Australia 

 in 1839, combined distinction in the diplomatic service with 



