New-York tribune., 1882-04-21
THE PHILOSOPHER AT HOME.
From TIE London T1uth.

From TIE London Truth.
A GREAT peal of laughter fills the modest
house at Down Not one these sharp metallic cachn.
nations which jar tho and set the teeth on edge,
nor one of those dry wooden ratings like the cracking
OF thorns under pot nor yet the loud laugh which
speaks the mind, but rich loncrc laugh round
and flI musical and jocund- laugh remember. The
outbmrst Of merrlmeHt proceeds from the recuse OF
Down infinitely amused TO hear that while ne mas been
watching the teuGris of the VINE and examining the
predatory Of the sundew the microscope Of The
Wor has he, focused upon the great observer him
self; that without gong through the preinlDay pro,
Of pinnng him 10 cork like cOckchafer, he has
been marked ran for some time past hat when he has
OF his friend Dr. Farr discussing the light and OK
ing orb was SUI lxed upon him that III the htile gar
den where he cultivated his plants for experiment,
" II il better so, says Mr. Darwin, than to he inter
viewed aud harassed with questions which cannot be
answered without some appearance OF vanity Moreover
1t strikes me as not proper nat man should comInun-
cate anything to tie author OF biographical notice. llc
should behave as If already dead" On any subject but
himself he is the most free and communicative OF living
philosophers without atom of scientific Jealousy he
sb q" he delicate expermenis on Which he is perpetu
ally occupied and to assist other investigators from the
stores of experience that has ranged over
the whole field Of natural science and the
cusons Of mind d trained med to o,.,noS reason on
actual observation No naturalist Of this or any other
tanned facts aud devoted labor TO original nyest
CATION The reason OF this excessive care Is 10 be found
In the keystone Of the Darwnian phlosophy-La uere
quand meme the pursuit OF truth through all Difficult
he has devoted his entire life saving OF course the
cheerful hours spent his family circeOne of the
une ed aud sfeciionate Engand-and with his oldest
friends sir Joseph Hooker and Professor Huxley. Per
haps merTier trio OF philosophers gathered TO
gether and enlyened abstrse subjects with quaint qup
and crank but neither OF his two friends genial con9a
ions though they be, approach Mr Darwins pitch of
hilarty. At a droll illustration of Mr.. Huxley's or hui
mOrOus doubt nsnuated In the musical tones OF the
president Of the Royal Society the eyes twinkle under
the massive oyerhangng br0ws the Socratic head as
Professor Tynda loves to call II, IL thrown back and
the long white beard rolls out such laugh as we
have attempted no TO describe tseL9 are
investigation nor friendly converse when sudden MS OF
Illness which he has been subject since his manhood,
tacks only troublesome while they last and infct
permanent injury on bis powerful frame. The long
periods Of cOnvaescence, too are utilized for
observations which require almost constant attention.
so that tables may be said TO be turned on disease
Mr. Darwin. like his friend Sir Joseph Hooker is an
tesses OF He Is ne G of lis family drect descent
who have been Fellows OF the Royal Society lie is the
Of Dr. Erasmus Darwin, author OF " The Botanic
Garden" zoonoma," etc, and by the mothers side is
manufacturer OF pottery and founder Of the works at
Eruria In niin, however, the artistic element wIch
dominated the WedgwoOds has been almost
entirely oyershadowed by the scientific instinct which i'm
pes seek for knowledge Or It's own sake, without
The slightest adnixture OF interest ambition. For
sculpture pottery even for drawing except an
aid 10 botanical and geological pursuits, be cares very
little hls collection OF pictures being confined to por-
trait OF old Dr. Darwin and one Ol Josiah WedgwOod,
hanging in his dinngroom and sketches Of SIR Joseph
Hooker aud Professor Huxley IN Tue small study wnence
have ISSUED the Origin OF Species" the Descent Of
Man and large number OF equally valuable but less
sehcfally known "0iAs on Zoology botany ana geology
II she fate of Mr. Darwin, Ike that Of many o her cel
DRAFTED to be best known the works which he
would himself hardly assign the highest rank among hs
many productions The popular mind, smitten with i
taste Tor asmaterng OF science naturally pounces most
eagerly upon those scientific works which approach the
borderland Of speculation, and has thns done
icn those Statements Which he pUts iorward n.
matters OF fact, aseertaned, beyond all possibility OF
doubt by experiment, and the hypothesis which with
admirable caution he sometimes bases upon them Tnis
grossly unfair to the most candid O philosophers, who
nothing for his theories and, rs III the welknDwn
case OF the bees in the Orgln Of Species frankly ad
init ted
with his hypothesis OF divergence Thus 1t Is not
uncommon to hear persons of sup oscd scientific taste
who chatter glibly enough about protopasm aud the
mOnad. compare Mr. Dar~ins most popular woik' with
the Nesuges Of Creation IA mere scientific romance,
founded the daring specuatiOns Of Lauarck and the
ncbular theory OF Laplace the famous astronomer who,
asked BY Napoleon Why he did not attribute the
structure the universe 10 great architect s said
to replied that ho chad no occasion to adopt that
bypot1esis'
Mr. Darwin's books founded upon no hasty gener
azaons from facts collected by others bat on patient
aud independent observation Yet so persistent nave
been his abOrs that mere catalogue Of Them WOud MI
cGnan IN tins J%na % @ ea be Ils has been constantly
present the scientific world Ii was happy Thought
Of Captain tz Roy TO oiler on setting out IN 1881 to
give up part of his cabin 10 any naturalist who
would accompany the ship on her now historic survey
Mr Darwin nad just then taker his degree at cambridge
h. preliminary studies having been made at Shire wsbuy
school under Dr. Butler (aerwsrl Bishop of Lch1eid
and then Tor two years at the University Of Edinburgh
when devoted time to marine zoology, and read
his first papers the Plinan society the
Ty oh1 b1t on Condition that he should have the enre
disposal OF collections all OF which lie deposited III
the various public Institutions
Ills work covers immense area OF thought, extend
ing over zoology botany and geology, IN eao Of which
lie made the mark OF an orig nal ana pOWeu ihnd
enriched by long research The bulk OF work o hls KIND
CONVEYS but the dnmcs Idea Of the toll involved IN the
collection material, and spent ia experiment ana OBJ
servation. In actual writing, MIR. Darwin works on "a
lau Of his own, in very short spesneyer exceeding
couple OF hOurs-aud never commenced unu the eyl-
dence been carefully collected arranged and duly
pondercd
In one respect despite his yexaous attacks OF illness,
Mr. Darwin must be cOnsidered fortunate man. During
he whole his life he has been In easy circumstances,
above toll Of earning income mike many phlOs-
ophers has not had the modification OF spending Ills
best hours the drudgeTy of official routine or the Lary
less wearsoe or teaching. lie has been enabled 10
devote his entire TIME TO his iavOrlc pursuits ana since
resided at Down, amid me Ich ana Eleu seenoi! VI o
OF the prcttiest parts OF Kent As ms numerous fanny
HE cares when distract lhe sciehhc "ohe' Il 'io
and turmoil Of active life. He leads Truly calh ana
existence unyeXed by the contemplation Ot
weekly bills and the signing O1 ehechs IN ms 10 "l.e anu
FANNY especially happy, being spaIei me pam o
degenerate offspring. lis cluerl soh W MiH,i Ii % ~ ~
u banker AT southampton tne secohd' rooisc' touA
nigh hunOrs IA Cambridge and Is now Fellow vi Irih
~ the third, Frank. VINO hAs lnAefll.1 ms @ IA'ne m
health, acts his secretary the tourlh Leondu II an
Dicer in the artillery ana distinguished hlhsli ls oie
Vi the scientific corps sent to observe tno uanSi. Vi
Venus the huh, Horace, Is an eAccilonI
Dnc married and unmarried daughter complete
family constant caro- Ii to relieve It's heAu u III
Thu free fron the disturbing influences Of the world
le can well afford To treat with admirable boou nuIO
he attacks vi scientific opponents, ana the "
loraut Olk incapable tandng either MS DOORS
IL himself. When young he pursued neld sports MIN
he combined interest OF the hunter ana tue hhtu
1ut of late years lie has found bis chief Iea katOn III
reading the popular novels OF the day ieelIh6 nae nu
ulstc COuLe, the scientific bow requires Iequeht
intending treatment uf books ana specimens Nc
-csenblcs Mr. Cary ls-cariDg nothing for them %hen
-e.d or thoroughly Investigated Ills DOCKS anu pants
,r aIways AT the service his friends and neghbors
among whom OF the nearest IL sir JOhn LADOOeA-
Eunly let II De remembered that Mr. Darwin has cker
s,d no common degree of moral influence on the scen
lo world. Completely posHesssd witL the ldea Oi apso
nte truth at all hazards, he abhors tampering with or
Al