268 



LAST YEARS IN ENGLAND, [Chap. VI. 



knowledge, his teaching and organizing power, his method and 

 the neatness of his workmanship as regards collections, and his 

 remarkable persistence in work. There was ample evidence 

 how successfully he laboured with those to whom he was 

 opposed on matters of great importance. The special refer- 

 ences to his urbanity are interesting ; because from the vehe- 

 mence, sternness, and sarcasm that sometimes appear in his 

 writings, it would be supposed that urbanity was not one of his 

 recommendations. But he was remarkably free from pre- 

 tension and self-consideration : and he inherited from his father 

 a winning courtesy and desire to promote the happiness of 

 others. 



It was more a matter of regret to his family than to him- 

 self that he was not appointed. His heart was set on Canada; 

 though, while the war lasted, he did not think it right to 

 remove there, and he had still a great pressure of Natural 

 History work. In writing respecting it to Dr. Henry (Sep- 

 tember 13, 1862) he says, " I now spend all the week at 

 Warrington : sleep at Mr. Robson's ; meal with the curator. I 

 rise at six or before : go straight to Museum ; work incessantly, 

 except when eating, till ten p.m. This gives me nearly fifteen 

 hours a day, close work. I think of nothing else. [He was 

 hoping shortly to remove some of the small genera to work at 

 in his own home.] Please remember that the rent of my room 

 at the Museum is valuable : and send as good a series of bird- 

 skins, mammalia, fish, turtles, reptiles, Crustacea, echinoderms, 

 as you can conveniently spare, by way of acknowledgment.'' At 

 this time his own pecuniary remuneration seemed uncertain, 

 owing to the war. 



The distress in the cotton districts was now becoming very 

 severe ; and he felt that he could not withhold the help which 

 his Warrington experience qualified him to afford. In March, 

 1863, he printed this circular: — "Dear friend, my time has 

 been too incessantly occupied to allow me to write earlier. At 

 the beginning of January, I left my Warrington Museum work, 

 and spent my time — (1) in visiting the poor, and teaching for 

 our friend Travers Madge, the Home Missionary who lived 



