14 GEOEGE JOHN EOMANES i873- 



ness and a wonderful interest in the younger man's 

 work and in his career. That first meeting was a 

 real epoch in Mr. Romanes' life. Mr. Darwin met 

 him, as he often used to tell, with outstretched hands, 

 a bright smile, and a ' How glad I am that you are so 

 young ! ' 



Perhaps no hero-worship was ever more unselfish, 

 more utterly loyal, or more fully rewarded. As time 

 went on, and intimacy increased, . and restraint wore 

 ofi, Mr. Eomanes, found' that the great master was as 

 much to be admired for his personal character as for 

 his wonderful gifts, and to the youth who never, in the 

 darkest days of utter scepticism, parted with the love 

 for goodness, for beauty of character, this was an over- 

 whelming joy. 



In a poem written about 1884 Mr. Eomanes has 

 expressed something of what he felt for Mr. Darwin, 

 and in this he has poured out his ' hero-worship ' in 

 terms which were to him the expressions of simple 

 truth. 



It is interesting to look over the long series of 

 letters from 1874 to 1882 and notice how the formal 

 ' Dear Mr. Eomanes ' drops into the famihar ' Dear 

 Eomanes,' and the letters become more and more 

 affectionate, intimate, personal. 



About this time also Mr. Eomanes made many 

 other scientific friends. Professor Schafer, Professor 

 Cossar Ewart, Mr. Francis Darwin, Dr. Pye Smith, 

 Professor E. Lankester, Professor Clifford, Dr. Lauder 

 Brunton, and many more ; and as his work became 

 known it is pleasant to see with what kindness of 

 welcome the new recruit was welcomed to the scien- 

 tific army by such men as Professor Huxley, Sir John 

 Lubbock, Sir Joseph Hooker, Mr. Busk, Mr. F. Galton, 

 and Mr. Spottiswoode, then President of the Eoyal 

 Society. 



Just at that time there was a set of rising young 



