THE NEGRO’S HEAD 
21 
1 804- 24 
me.” I made him an indifferent answer, 
returned him the keys and lantern, and passed 
I remember having mentally vowed all my 
^^y_ home never, never again to desecrate the 
ristian corpse, and to quit a profession that 
^ould only be learnt by such practices.’ 
How long Richard Owen kept this resolution 
can easily see. It was only a few months after 
at the incident occurred known as the ‘ Negro’s 
^ad story,’ which the Professor used to tell so 
As imperfectly recollected accounts of this 
®tory during his lifetime appeared occasionally in 
Various papers, it may not be out of place to give 
in his own words : — 
My worthy preceptor was called out one 
^vening to the case of a sailor who was brought 
ome in an apoplectic fit after receiving a heavy 
^ in a drunken fray at a public-house. The 
octor found it a hopeless case, and the man 
passed from his stupor into death. After his 
sath his widow and daughter retired to one of 
6 little houses which face the steepest part of 
^ Hading to the Castle gates. One evening 
were talking about the slave trade, in which 
Occupation it appeared that the unfortunate hus- 
^ and and father had spent a large part of his active 
* 0 . The two women had finished their meal 
^ad were sitting before the fire, by the light of 
ich they were holding their conversation. The 
another was feebly attempting to make a case in 
