Louis Compton MialL 



XI 



In 1857 Louis Miall left school, a boy of fifteen, but looking older, and 

 already grave and dignified. He had probably learnt all that Silcoates 

 had to teach him, and his father could afford to spend no more upon his 

 education, but recognised the lad's ability, and, being anxious to give him 

 further opportunities to study, hit upon a scheme that seemed promising 

 from many points of view. This was that Louis should keep a little 

 day-school, with his father's help and direction, prospectuses for which 

 were accordingly issued in Louis's name. A member of the congregation, 

 who much admired the minister and knew something of his teaching 

 capacity, had already entrusted him with her son's education, and other 

 pupils were soon found to make the nucleus of a small school. The 

 time-table was specially arranged so that Louis should have leisure for 

 private study ; his father apparently took a good deal of the teaching into 

 his own hands, and his mother helped with the French, and, altogether, the 

 plan seemed to work out very well. It had its drawbacks, however, the 

 chief of which was that Louis had to study by himself, for, though his 

 father could help him with Latin and Greek, the boy had then no great 

 inclination to continue his classical reading, and was more interested in the 

 new scientific subjects that were attracting the attention of the younger 

 generation. 



His eldest brother was a medical student at Edinburgh and Louis often 

 envied his opportunities. Probably it was his example that induced Louis 

 later on to take a course of anatomy at the Leeds School of Medicine. It 

 meant early rising every day to journey from Bradford to Leeds, but the 

 teaching was good and constituted the only training in science that he could 

 obtain. 



Meanwhile he was working hard at zoology and geology, and joined a 

 Botanical Society at Todmorden, making many friends who were interested in 

 Natural History and publishing papers in various periodicals. One of these 

 brought him the following letter from Charles Darwin : — 



Down, Bromley, Kent. 

 Dear Sir, January 23, 1860. 



I hope that you will excuse the liberty I take in .writing to you and 

 recjuesting a favour. In the ' Annals of Nat. Hist.,' vol. 15, p. 39, you remark 

 " The variations of form in the maxillas are of no value among the Phalangida 

 in affording generic or specific characters as with the true spiders." Am I 

 to understand from the latter part of sentence that with the individuals of 

 the same undoubted species the maxillas vary in form ? Is not this a very 

 surprising fact ? Would you have the great kindness, if the fact be so, to give 

 me some details on the amount and kind of variations and in what species. 

 And further would you permit me to quote any such facts on your authority ? 

 With many apologies for troubling you, I beg to remain, Dear Sir, 



Yours very faithfully, 



Chaeles Darwin. 



