390 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xxv 



All our children but Jessie have the whooping-cough — Per- 

 tussis — I don't know your German name for it. — It is distress- 

 ing enough for them, but, I think, still worse for their mother. 

 However, there are no serious symptoms, and I hope the change 

 of air will set them right. 



They all join with me in best wishes and regrets that you 



are not coming. Won't you change your mind ? We start on 



July 31st. — Ever yours faithfully, ^ ^^ -._. 



^ T. H. Huxley. 



The summer holiday of 1871 was spent at St. Andrews, 

 a place rather laborious of approach at that time, with all 

 the impedimenta of a large and young family, but chosen 

 on account of its nearness to Edinburgh, where the British 

 Association met that year. I well remember the night 

 journey of some ten or eleven hours, the freshness of the 

 early morning at Edinburgh, the hasty excursion with my 

 father up the hill from the station as far as the old High 

 Street. The return journey, however, was made easier by 

 the kindness of Dr. Matthews Duncan, who put up the 

 whole family for a night, so as to break the journey. 



We stayed at Castlemount, now belonging to Miss 

 Paton, just opposite the ruined castle. Among other vis- 

 itors to St. Andrews known to my father were Professors 

 Tait and Crum Brown, who inveigled him into making trial 

 of the " Royal and Ancient " game, which then, as now, 

 was the staple resource of the famous little city. I have a 

 vivid recollection of his being hopelessly bunkered three or 

 four holes from home, and can testify that he bore the moral 

 strain with more than usual calm , as compared with the 

 generality of golfers. Indeed, despite his naturally quick 

 temper and his four years of naval service at a time when, 

 perhaps, the traditions of a former generation had not 

 wholly died out, he had a special aversion to the use of 

 expletives ; and the occasional appearance of a strong word 

 in his letters must be put down to a simple literary use 

 which he would have studiously avoided in conversation. 

 A curious physical result followed the vigour with which 

 he threw himself into the unwonted recreation. For the 

 last twenty years his only physical exercise had been walk- 



