New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-29
CHARLES DARWIN.
LIFE AND LETTERS, EDITED BY Ills SON

relating to Darwin which has been scattered
through many books since his death II must not,
however. be concluded that we have TO do here
with q simple abridgmcnt The work is very
much more than that II really is the autobiog-
raphy OF Darwin illustrated and added to from
the extensive family knowledge possessed by his
son and because of this addition it has the effect
and the value, in many respects, Of a new work.
Charles Darwin was one of the most modest Of
men, and given, like all truly modest men. 70 self
enacement When he writes OF himself his esti-
mates arc therefore. apt to be disparaging rather
than perfectly accurate and in such a case some
thing is really needed TO restore the balance and
10 give the subject of the study his true place In
the narrative.
Now Francis Darwin writes from full memory
and full sympathy. and the result is most
satisfactory. No such picture Of Darwins life ana
work has been presented before, and for obvious
reasons The great naturalist neither could nor
would write about himself in this intimate way
lie would not imagine that the world cared or
wanted to know all about his daily habits Such
matters he was bound BY his very nature to sup
press or to slur over as unimportant But his son
realizes how much these little personal traits mean
for the public, and he has INDUCED disposition
20 talk about them which Is. of course, perfectly
natural and very fortunate for the general reader
II IL true that the arrangement of the matter is
somefimes rather pulling. Then the voyage OF
the Beagle seems TO Re sandwiched in somewhat
arbitrarily, and to involve a curious shifting OF
data backward and forward. But the editor
thinks that this was a necessity of the case, and
it certainly il not matter worth dispute 30
long as all the main facts are accounted for, the
book should satisfy open minis.
One of the most interesting impressions pro-
duccd by the volume is that concerning the gradual
working Of Darwin's mind in the direction of what
was to be his life work. We see him at Cam
bridge first deeply Interested in natural history,
hunting up all kinds of specimens and exhibiting
a marked enthusiasm and absorption in this class
OF work But before the momcntous decision on
the Beagle voyage he was clearly quite uncer-
tain as to his future. He knew early That his
fathers means would be so large as to render an
ordinary working career unnecessary for him; but
there was a desire on the part Of his parents 70
put him in the church. and for this vocation no
had no calling. The elder Darwin at first opposed
the Beagle expedition hut subsequently with
drew his objections, and this decided young OAR
win. who Joined the vessel, and so set the seal
upon his own mission All the material feats OF
this voyage have long been common property, but
here we learn how Darwin admired ana
loved by his shipmatcs, who knew him only oy
the sobriauet, the dear old Philosopher"
BY all the records of his life. Like many other
men who have accomplished great things Charles
Darwin was handicapped by ill health almost from
the beginning of his career Whether, indeed,
seasckness from which he suffered greatly on the
VOYAGE had a permanent effect in shatterlng his
health seems even yet unsettled question. The
plain fact, however, is that he was never al all
robust and that as he advanced in years he be-
came what may be termed confirmed invalid.
During the voyage of the Beagle he indeed more
than once exhibited a strength and enduranc" sur
prising in the circumstances; and all through his
life he showed extraordinary tenaclty Of pur-
pose and determination not to be Kept down by
i'll health however often it might assail him. That
he should have been enabled 70 compass so I'M
mense an amount of work was unquestionably at
tributabe TO his habit of logged persistence in the
doing of IT, IL he was thrown down at one time
lie would wait until he was strong enough to rise
again and go on with his labor He never gave
M nor did he ever so much contemplate the
possibility IF having 10 give up.
Years after he took up his abode at Dorcr we
find him counting the days and months he has lost
by sickness, not luerulously, but yet reeretfuly,
as ncedless hindrances to work for the completion
of which the longest term of healthy existence
would be all too short. Fortunately, his life was
wholly his own to order and arrange. Stlll more
fortunately it had received its direction from the
Ceage expedition. His domestic life, moreover, was
wholly free from dstracting cares lie had an
ample income, and no need to look to his scientific
work for an increase of it. lie was, therefore, en-
abled TO devote himself wholly to Science and this
no did. with the results all the world knows.
One of the most pleasing traits in his grand and
simple character was his unaffected humility Great
men are in special ways prone to vanity ana
TEMPTED to indulgence in it. But Charles Darwin
estimated his own powers so lightly that where nc
had not made a special study OF subject ne re-
fused, as u rule. to deliver any opinion upon 1t,
and was amused when, in the later years. inqulsi-
tive correspondents would persist in putting qaes-
lions to him which he considered to be beyond the
purview Of human knowledge. II is evident, now
ever. tina: in some respects his mind was peculiar
Certainly the organ Of reverence appeared 70 DC
Htte developed in it. That he should at an early
n.r;od have come 70 regard himself as an agnostic
was perhaps a necessity OF the case; but the
curious way in which his attitude toward poetry
cbanoed and he came to lose all interest and hiking
for it. seems to point to the establishment of kind
of imaginative atrophy in him. 10 the last nc
was indeed fond Of fiction, but even then IL does
not seem that he entertained many special hKines
or ayersions 1t is true that he could not bear
unhappy cndings of novels, but perhaps that was
mainly reflection from his peaceful and pain
less existence.
His ways, as here recorded, were cautious re-
soirceful and ingenious his patience infinite, his
interest in his work not less so. He had all the
capacity Of the sturdest podder and the acutehess
OF the keencst intelligence. Happily too, nothing
cou,d ever induce him to go beyond verified evil
dence in his conclusions. No matter how precon-
ceived theories might urge him. he never yielded
10 their solicitations. The truth as clearly demon
strated was his goal, and nothing else and nothing
less. 1t is delightful TO follow his active line as
his son describes it, and TO note how successfully
lie deied or compounded with his physical frailties.
always eventually accomplishing what he set out
to do, though his inirmities might compel him to
expend upon 1t more time than would have been