136 GEOEGE JOHN EOMANES I881- 



CHAPTEE III 



1881-1890 

 LONDON — GEANIES 



One may now for a short space turn away from the 

 scientific side of Mr. Eomanes' life and speak a Httle 

 of other aspects. 



No one was ever a more incessant worker and 

 thinker. If he went away for a short visit, his 

 writing went too ; and if in Scotland -wet weather 

 interfered with shooting, he would sit down and write 

 something, perhaps a poem, perhaps (as he once said 

 playfully when condoled with on account of heavy 

 rain and absence of books, ' I don't care, I'll write an 

 essay on the freedom of the will ' ) an article for a 

 magazine. 



A great deal of reviewing, chiefly in ' Nature,' 

 filled up some of his time, and he also turned his 

 attention more and more to poetry. 



In the postscript of a letter written in 1878 to 

 Mr. Darwin he says : ' I am beginning to write 

 poetry ! ' and poetry interested him more and more 

 as years went on. Of this, more later. 



He much enjoyed society ; he ceased to mingle 

 exclusively with scientific and philosophical people, 

 and as time went on he became acquainted with 

 many of the notabilities of the day. And, as has been 

 said, it is impossible perhaps to exaggerate the out- 

 ward pleasantness of those years. 



He was able to devote himself to his work ; he 

 had an ever-increasing number of devoted friends 



