268 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xvii 



Minister who made the offer that the man of all others for 

 the post would be the late distinguished holder of it, Sir W. 

 H. Flower, a suggestion happily acted on. 



Early in August a severe loss befell him in the sudden 

 death of his brother George, who had been his close friend 

 ever since he had returned from Australia, who had given 

 him all the help and sympathy in his struggles that could 

 be given by a man of the world without special interests in 

 science or literature. With brilliancy enough to have won 

 success if he had had patience to ensure it, he was not only 

 a pleasant companion, a " clubbable man " in Johnson's 

 phrase, but a friend to trust. The two households had seen 

 much of one another ; the childless couple regarded their 

 brother's children almost as their own. Thus a real gap 

 was made in the family circle, and the trouble was not 

 lessened by the fact that George Huxley's affairs were left 

 in great confusion, and his brother not only spent a great 

 deal of time in looking after the interests of the widow, but 

 took upon himself certain obligations in order to make 

 things straight, with the result that he was even compelled 

 to part with his Royal Medal, the gold of which was worth 

 £50. 



