DEFENCE OF AGNOSTICISM 



237 



3 Jevington Gardens, Eastboirne, 

 Feb. 29, 1889. 



My dear Knowles — I have just been delighted with Mrs. 

 Ward's article. She has swept away the greater part of Wace's 

 sophistries as a dexterous and strong-wristed housemaid sweeps 

 away cobwebs with her broom, and saved a lot of time. 



What in the world does the Bishop mean by saying that I 

 have called Christianity " sorry stuff " (p. 370) ? To my knowl- 

 edge I never so much as thought anything of the kind, let alone 

 saying it. 



I shall challenge him very sharply about this, and if, as I 

 believe, he has no justification for his statement, my opinion of 

 him will be very considerably lowered. 



Wace has given me a lovely opening by his profession of 

 belief in the devils going into the swine. I rather hoped I should 

 get this out of him. 



I find people are watching the game with great interest, and 

 if it should be possible for me to give a little shove to the " New 

 Reformation " I shall think the fag end of my life well spent. 



After all, the reproach made to the English people that " they 

 care for nothing but religion and politics " is rather to their 

 credit. In the long run these are the two things that ought to 

 interest a man more than any others. 



I have been much bothered with ear-ache lately, but if all 

 goes well I will send you a screed by the middle of March. 



Snowing hard ! They have had more snow within the last 

 month than they have known for ten years here. — Ever yours 

 faithfully, T. H. Huxley. 



He set to work immediately, and within ten day de- 

 spatched his second contribution, " Agnosticism, a Rejoin- 

 der," which appeared in the April number of the Nineteenth 

 Century. 



On March 3 he writes : — 



I am possessed by a writing demon, and have pretty well 

 finished in the rough another article for Knowles, whose mouth 

 is wide open for it. 



And on the 9th : — 



I sent off another article to Knowles last night — a regular 

 facer for the clericals. You can't think how I enjoy writing 

 now for the first time in my life. 



