20 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, ii 



I knew too well my own deficiencies to have been either sur- 

 prised or disappointed at failure, and I made a point of shatter- 

 ing all involuntary " castles in the air " as soon as possible. My 

 worst anticipations were realised. One day S. came to me with 

 a sorrowful expression of countenance. He had inquired of the 

 Beadle as to the decision, and ascertained on the latter's au- 

 thority that all the successful candidates were University Col- 

 lege men, whereby, of course, I was excluded. I said, " Very 

 well, the thing was not to be helped," put my best face upon the 

 matter, and gave up all thoughts of it. Lizzie, too, came to com- 

 fort me, and, I believe, felt it more than I did. What was my 

 surprise on returning home one afternoon to find myself sud- 

 denly seized, and the whole female household vehemently insist- 

 ing on kissing me. It appeared an official-looking letter had 

 arrived for me, and Lizzie, as I did not appear, could not re- 

 strain herself from opening it. I was second, and was to re- 

 ceive a medal * accordingly, and dine with the guild on the 9th 

 November to have it bestowed. 



I dined with the company, and bore my share in both pud- 

 ding and praise, but the charm of success lay in Lizzie's warm 

 congratulation and sympathy. Since then she always took upon 

 herself to prophesy touching the future fortunes of " the boy." 



The haphazard, unsystematic nature of preliminary 

 medical study here presented can not fail to strike one with 

 wonder. Thomas Huxley was now seventeen ; he had al- 

 ready had two years' " practice in pharmacy " as a testi- 

 monial put it. After a similar apprenticeship, his brother 

 had made the acquaintance of the director of the Gloucester 

 Lunatic Asylum, and was given by him the post of dispenser 

 or " apothecary," which he filled so satisfactorily as to re- 

 ceive a promise that if he went to London for a couple of 

 years to complete his medical training, a substitute should 



* Silver Medal of the Pharmaceutical Society, gth November 1842. 

 Another botanical prize is a boolc — La Botanique, by A. Richard — with 

 the following inscription : — 



Thomae Huxley 



In Exercitatione Botanices 



Apud Scholam Collegii Sydenhamiensis 



Optime Merenti 



Hunc librum dono dedit 



RiCARDUS D. HoBLYN, Botanices Professor. 



