CHAPTER VI 



1884-85 



Towards the end of September he went to the West 

 country to try to improve his health before the session 

 began again in London. Thus he writes, on Sept. 26, to 

 Mr. W. F. Collier, who had invited him to Horrabridge, and 

 on the 27th to Sir M. Foster : — 



Fowey, Sept. 26, 1884. 



Many thanks for the kind offer in your letter, which has 

 followed me here. But I have not been on the track you might 

 naturally have supposed I had followed. I have been trying to 

 combine hygiene with business, and betook myself, in the first 

 place, to Dartmouth, afterwards to Totnes, and then came on 

 here. From this base of operations I could easily reach all my 

 places of meeting. To-morrow I have to go to Bodmin, but I 

 shall return here, and if the weather is fine (raining cats and 

 dogs at present), I may remain a day or two to take in stock 

 of fresh air before commencing the London campaign. 



I am very glad to hear that your health has improved so 

 much. You must feel quite proud to be such an interesting 

 " case." If I set a good example myself I would venture to 

 warn you against spending five shillings' worth of strength on 

 the ground of improvement to the extent of half-a-crown. 



I am not quite clear as to the extent to which my children 

 have colonised Woodtown at present. But it seems to me that 

 there must be three or four Huxleys (free or in combination, as 

 the chemists say) about the premises. Please give them the 

 paternal benediction ; and with very kind remembrances to Mrs. 

 Collier, etc. 



Fowey Hotel, Fowey, Cornwall, 

 Sept. 27, 1884. 



My dear Foster — I return your proof, with a few trifling 

 suggestions here and there. . . . 

 84 



