1868 HIS WIFE'S CRITICISM 435 



tall phrase as meaning " with our conceptions of religion 

 and politics on a scientific basis." 



Comte in his later days was an apostate from his own 

 creed ; his " nouveau grande Etre supreme " being as 

 big a fetish as ever nigger first made and then worshipped. 

 Ever yours faithfully, T. H. HUXLEY. 



It is interesting to note how he invariably sub- 

 mitted his writings to the criticism of his wife before 

 they were seen by any other eye. To her judgment 

 was due the toning down of many a passage which 

 erred by excess of vigour, and the clearing up of 

 phrases which would be obscure to the public. In 

 fact, if an essay met with her approval, he felt sure 

 it would not fail of its effect when published. Writing 

 to her from Norwich on August 23, 1 868, he confesses 

 himself with reference to the lecture " On a Piece of 

 Chalk": 



I met Grove, who edits Macmillan, at the soiree. He 

 pulled the proof of my lecture out of his pocket and said, 

 " Look here, there is one paragraph in your lecture I can 

 make neither top nor tail of. I can't understand what 

 it means." I looked to where his finger pointed, and 

 behold it was the paragraph you objected to when I read 

 you the lecture on the sea-shore ! I told him, and said 

 I should confess, however set up it might make you. 



At the beginning of September he rejoined his 

 wife and family at Littlehampton, "a grand place 

 for children, because you go up rather than down into 

 the sea, and it is quite impossible for them to get 

 into mischief by falling," as he described it to his 

 friend Dr. Dohrn, who came down for ten days, 



