2IO LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xii 



left. Arnold told me years ago that he had heart disease. I do 

 not suppose there is any likelihood of an immediate catastrophe 

 in my own case. I should not go abroad if there were. Imagine 

 the horror of leaving one's wife to fight all the difficulties of 

 sudden Euthanasia in a Swiss hotel ! I saw enough of that 

 two years ago at Arolla. — Ever yours, _, „ __ 



4 Marlborough Place, April 25, 1888. 



My dear Hooker — All my beautiful Swiss plans are knocked 

 on the head — at any rate for the present — in favour of hori- 

 zontally and Digitalis here. The journey up on Monday demon- 

 strated that travelling, at present, was impracticable. 



Hames is sanguine I shall get right with rest, and I am quite 

 satisfied with his opinion, but for the sake of my belongings he 

 thinks it right to have Clark's opinion to fortify him. 



It is a bore to be converted into a troublesome invalid even 

 for a few weeks, but I comfort myself with my usual reflection 

 on the chances of life, " Lucky it is no worse." Any impatience 

 would have been checked by what I heard about Moseley this 

 morning — that he has sunk into hopeless idiocy. A man in the 

 prime of life ! — Ever yours, 



T. H. Huxley. 



4 Marlborough Place, May 4, 1888. 



My dear Hooker — Best thanks for your note and queries. 



I remember hearing what you say about Darwin's father 

 long ago, I am not sure from what source. But if you look at 

 p. 20 of the Life and Letters you will see that D. himself says his 

 father's mind " was not scientific." I have altered the passage 

 so as to use these exact words. 



I used " malice " rather in the French sense, which is more 

 innocent than ours, but " irony " would be better if " malice " in 

 any way suggests malignity. " Chaff " is unfortunately beneath 

 the dignity of an R.S. obituary. 



I am going to add a short note about Erasmus Darwin's 

 views. 



It is a great comfort to me that you like the thing. I am 

 getting nervous over possible senility— 63 to-day, and nothing 

 of your evergreen ways about me. 



I am decidedly mending, chiefly to all appearance by allow- 

 ing myself to be stuffed with meat and drink like a Strasburg 

 goose. I am also very much afraid that abolishing tobacco has 

 had something to do with my amendment. 



