1884. | Scientific News. 109 
many years his personal servant, Mr. Darwin gave a life pension 
of £50, and the rent of the handsome “ Home Cottage ” in Down, 
During the time of a water famine in that region, he used to ride 
about on horseback to see who needed water, and had it brought 
to them at his own expense from the stream at St. Mary's Cray. 
“He was,” said Mr, Parslow, “a very social, nice sort of a gen- 
tleman, very joking and jolly indeed; a good husband and a 
good father and a most excellent master. Even his footmen used 
to stay with him as long as five years. They would rather stay 
with him than take a higher salary somewhere else. The cook 
came there while young and stayed there till his death, nearly 
thirty years later. 
“Mrs. Darwin is a pleasant lady, a year older than her husband. 
Their boys are all jolly, nice young fellows. All have turned 
out so well, not one of them rackety, you know. Seven children 
out of the ten are now living. 
“George Darwin is now a professor in Oxford. He was a 
barrister at first; had his wig and gown and all, but had to 
give it up on account of bad health. He would have made’a 
hornament to the profession. 
_ “Francis Darwin is a doctor, and used to work with his father 
in the greenhouse. He is soon to marry a lady who lectures on 
Botany in Oxford. 
“For the first twenty years after Mr. Darwin’s return from 
South America, his health was very bad—much more than later. 
He had a stomach disease which resulted from sea-sickness while 
on the voyage around the world. Mr. Parslow learned the water- 
_ Cure treatment and treated Mr. Darwin in that system, for a long. 
_ lime, giving much relief. 
“Mr. Darwin used to do his own writing but had copyists to 
get his work ready for the printer. He was always an early man. 
He used to get up at half past six. He used to bathe and then 
g0 out for a walk all around the place. Then Parslow used to 
get breakfast for him before the rest of the family came down. 
€ used to eat rapidly, then went to his study and wrote till 
after the rest had breakfast. Then Mrs. Darwin came in and he 
used to lie half an hour on the sofa while she or some one else 
read to him. Then he wrote till noon, then went out for an hour- 
to walk. He used to walk all around the place. Later in life, 
he had a cab, and used to ride on horseback. Then after lunch 
at one, he used to write awhile. Afterwards he and Mrs. Darwin 
used to go to the bedroom, where he lay ona sofa and often 
Smoked a cigarette while she read to him. After this he used 
to walk till dinner-time at five. Before the family grew up, they 
used to dine early, at half-past one, and had a meat-tea at half 
Past six, 
„~ Sometimes there were eighteen or twenty young Darwins of 
erent families in the house. Four-in-hand coaches of young 
