The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-05

the world. We were, moreover, scientific
family. One of my brothers is professor of
biology in a northern university, another
at the head of a great engineering eStab-
lishment, and my own education was
conducted on strictly scientific principles My
gOvernesses We're chosen with exclusive
reference to their scientific acquI ements.
Afler leaving Cheltenham College | gradu-
ated B. Sc. at the University of London.
studied physics at the University OF Geneva,
and obtained its degree of Bacheliere-eS-
Sciences. ! would not, however, have it
supposed that l did this under any sort of
'cOmpulsidn. | took science to please my
father: | went on with it to please myself.
1t was my bent. All the same, l was
young girl first, woman of science after
ward: There was romantic side to my
character, and had no more desire tn re-
main a maid than TO become blue stock
ing. But the praises of my father, who
was greatly delighted with my achieve
ments, the attention l received in
society, and the sense of nv own intel
lectual superiority to most of the people
with whom | came IN contact, raised my eX-
DectatonS so high, that IN year after the
completion of my studies refused several
offers Of marriage, which most young wO-
men IN my position would haved accepted
with delight. The men who made them did
not come up to my ideal, and to none other
would l listen. They were all intellectually
beneath me and obscure, and | was resolved
TO marry no man who was less than a
genius, and who had not made himself a
name.
One of my duties at home, duty in which
/ took great pleasure, was to help my father
with his extensive and sometimes burden
. some correspondence. Every morning | was
down half an hour before him. So soon as
the letters came | opened and sorted them,
and while we were having breakfast he
would hook them over and tell me in what
terms TO answer those which he did not pro-
pose to answer himself.
One Monday morning I opened a letter
bearing the Zanzibar postmark. 1t ran
thus: Just line to say that Herbert has
been heard of. More BY next mail. Yours
truly, T. Robinson"
= Though short, this missive was the most
important in the whole delivery, and laid
it on. the top of the pile.
My father bounced on ii at once.
. =" Herbert heard of! George Herbert
heard or he exclaimed excitedly. He
is alive, then. l was right after all |
would not give him up though every body
g else did. This IS the best news have heard
for many day, Myra. His death would
nave been an immense loss to science and a
great grief to me. Such fine fellow You
remember when he was our guest five or six
years ago."
=. No. was at college. never saw Him,
and though am aware that he is a very dis
ttDgulshed man and your particular friend
j really know very little about him. You
forgot how much l have been away from
home,
He is, indeed. distinguished man, and
singularly devoted to science. He is so rich
that he might have led q life of luxurious
ease, yet after graduating at Cambridge with
:lonQrs, he studied medicine con amore, car
Fied off several prizes ana obtained the NJ. D.
degree OF the University of London and the
Fellowship of the Royal College of Physi-
clans. L was one of the examiners in physi-
oloEy at that time, and being greatly struck
by his answers maze his acquaintance and
asked: him to my house. We became great
friends, aud it was | who fiji st directed his
attention to ethnology, which he took up
Win characteristic ardOr Having no in
tention- either to practice or to teach, and
beng blessed with more money than he
could. spend, lie decided to travel in
the wilder and less known parts of
the earth, with view to the
variations of the human race. He srent
two years in the UNEMPLOYED regions of
Brazil and Peru, and sent home some very
valuable papers, not only on ethnolOgy, but
on botany and biology. And he does his
work so thoroughly-llYes with the people,
learns their language, hunts with them,
fishes with them, and sets down nothing as
fact which he has not personally verified.
e. HIS researches are embodied In volume
which you will find in the library 1t ex-
cited great deal OF attention. The Times
gave it notice of two columns. Five years
ago he went on similar expedition to Cen
trial Africa: For while had letters regu-
larry. Then they suddenly cased, and until
now-though we were continually making
inquiries at Cape Town. Zanzibar and else
where-he had not been heard of or from
for nearly five years, Most of his friends
gave him up for lost. ! alone continued to
hope"
:'How old is he ?"
mot much more than 30; regular Her
cules, and with constitution Of IRON"
He will have much to tell when he comes
back"
Yes, we shall have another and still
more interesting book than the last"
DO you think he has followed the same
system IN Africa as he did in South Amer
ica-liring with the natives?"
certainly; and this is what differentiates
ms work. from that of ordinary Travellers
lhey explore the country, he studies the
people and their environment: and / have
not the least doubt that his researches will
throw a new light ON the variations of the
genus homo of Africa, and settle some
veXed questions in ethnology and language,
Tor l hardly need tell you that DIR. Herbert
is an accomplished lingust. 1 wonder when
we shall have him here. Not for some time
Tear, unless he is near the coast. Travel
ing III Central Africa is tedious business"
also wondered when we should see DR..
Herbert, and for the remainder of the day
thought Of little else. My fathers account
OF him had fred my Imagination. There
was something In his achievements which
seemed to me positively heroic. Brave and
learned, young, rich and of fine physique
distinguished even before he had won re-
nown as an explorer, Herbert surpassed my
ideal as much as any other man knew
came short Of it.
CHAPTER IL
The next mail brought not only more
news of our traveller, but letters under his
own hand, written, however, several months
previously. Several of them were commu-
nicatiOns for the learned society with which
he was connected. The newspapers pub
lished them in full, and they were, doubt
less very interesting. just then, however,
wa more curious about the man. than
his discoveries, and | read with the closest
attention his private letters TO my
something that would throw fur
ther lght on his friends character