CHAPTER VIII 



1854 



The year 1854 marks the turning-point in Huxley's 

 career. The desperate time of waiting came to an end. By 

 the help of his lectures and his pen, he could at all events 

 stand and wait independently of the Navy. He could not, 

 of course, think of immediate marriage, nor of asking Miss 

 Heathorn to join him in England ; but it so happened that 

 her father was already thinking of returning home, and 

 finally this was determined upon just before Professor 

 Forbes' translation to a chair at Edinburgh gave Huxley 

 what turned out to be the long-hoped-for permanency in 

 London. 



June 3, 1854. 

 I have often spoken to you of my friend Edward Forbes. 

 He has quite recently been suddenly appointed to a Professorial 

 Chair in Edinburgh, vacated by the death of old Jamieson. He 

 was obliged to go down there at once and lecture, and as he 

 had just commenced his course at the Government School of 

 Mines in Jermyn Street, it was necessary to obtain a substitute. 

 He had spoken to me of the possibility of his being called away 

 long ago, and had asked if I would take his place, to which, 

 of course, I assented, but the whole affair was so uncertain 

 that I never in any way reckoned upon it. Even at last I did 

 not know on the Monday whether I was to go on for him on 

 the Friday or not. However, he did go after giving two lec- 

 tures, and on Friday the 25th May I took his lecture, and I 

 have been going on ever since, twice a week on Mondays and 

 Fridays. Called upon so very suddenly to give a course of some 

 six and twenty lectures, I find it very hard work, but I like it 

 and I never was in better health. 



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