1852-54 'HOME, SWEET HOME' 389 



care-marked, dark-eyed, rather bilious-looking 

 young man, with spectacles ; middle height, and 

 rather thin.' 



This year Owen attended, as he usually did, 

 the meeting of the British Association, which was 

 held in Belfast. Previous to the meeting, in the 

 middle of August, he was the guest of Lord 

 Enniskillen. He returned home, as he writes to 

 his sister, 'byway of Holyhead, and landed at 

 Euston Station at 5 a.m. Went by the first train to 

 Mortlake and then " Home, sweet Home," where 

 I arrived this morning (Friday, September 17), to 

 breakfast. I found on looking at my thermometer 

 on my arrival that it had fallen here last night to 

 freezing point. Nevertheless, all looks beautifully 

 well in the garden. The Gleditschia has begun to 

 add a slight yellow to its charms. The Althaeas 

 are in magnificent bloom — five of them. One of 

 a rich rosy hue has the buds particularly beauti- 

 ful. The flower-beds on the lawn are as brilliant 

 as ever. Honeysuckles and verbenas in full blow.' 



In the autumn of this year Owen began a 

 series of zoological articles for Charles Dickens's 

 magazine ' Household Words.' Forster made 

 the suggestion in the first instance, and Dickens 

 wrote Owen the following letter on the subject : — 



Oct. 19, 1852. 

 ' My dear Owen, — I am just home again for 

 the winter, and saw Forster last night. He per- 



