ii6 PROFESSOR OWEN CH. IV. 
good — better than her body I fear, if she 
survives — as she prays — to see us both again 
with the little pledge of affection which reconciles 
age to the irremediable lot, that the apathy of 
decay may blunt much of the pleasure which she 
has derived from my present visit.’ 
In another letter from Lancaster written to 
his wife he makes the following somewhat 
flippant remarks relative to a request sent from 
the Trustees of the College of Surgeons that he 
should send them as soon as possible a report 
concerning his work of the past year ; — ■ 
‘ What’s the use of trying to collect one’s ideas 
for a report to the Trustees ? “ One thousand and 
three moths killed by tobacco-smoke and directions 
of the Board of Curators. Complaint of some of the 
sorrowing relatives of said moths that rehirns was 
used instead of canaster (such infra digs, would 
never have taken place in good old Sir William’s 
time, the moths — though they be moths — having 
been bred and born in the Royal College of 
Surgeons).” Secondly, “ All old corners and out- 
of-the-way archives diligently and carefully looked 
through, and the letters out o’ date, old catalogues, 
and other documents, left where they were found.” 
Thirdly, Mr. O. has minutely and casually looked 
(without spectacles) at all the uncatalogued speci- 
mens in spirit, and feels much out of spirits him- 
self when he thinks of the same. Fourthly, that 
Mrs. C[lift] closed the due proportion of her 
