The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-09
q ! i ] ] ,i z;&Il t|(: tf|1 !


to have been thoroughly appreciated by
his family with the exception of one sis
ter who always believed in him. He
probably shared the fate OF some other
younger sens who are regarded by their
elders with mixture of affection and
| contempt. as the baby.
In sydney, Australia, while on a scien-
tit!c expedition thither. he met Miss Hen
rieita Heathorn, who. after several years
of engagement. became his wife. Young
Euxieys prospects were too uncertain to
allow shorter engagement. and he had
to face the alternative which many ether
| young men have faced. of giving up the
aim of his life for the sake OF small but
! certain salary, or of holding to it in the
hope that it would eventually prove re-
| muneratiye. He chose the latter and in
the end he was not disappointed.
During this time Of waiting and uncer-
tainty he wrote to his sister, then settled
in Tennessee. as follows:
am under ones patronage. do ever
| mean to he. I have never asked and l never
| viii ask. any for his helm from mere
| tives of friendship. Ii an. man thinks that
| am capable of forwarding the great causs in ever
/ So small way. let him Just give me helping
hand and will thank him, bu; if not, he is doing
| both himself and me harm in oFering il. and il
| it should be necessary for 10 find public ex-
| Preston to my thoughts on any matter, l have
| clearly made up my mind to do 50, without allow
| ing myself to be Influenced by hope of gain
| weight of authority.
There many nice people in this world for
| whose praise blame care not whistle.
| don't know and don't whether shall
ever he what is called great man. / will leave
| my mark somewhere. and it shall be clear and
| DISTINCT. H. H.-his mark, and free from the
abomnable blur of cant ,-lhumbug. and self aak-
| ing which surrounds everything in this present
Unr + 1s rAlAln m M
already unconsciousy tainted myself. result
of which have m"rbid dread.
When the young mans financial pros
poets made it possible finally for the mar
riage to take place. Miss Heathorn came
to England, in a state of health which
was anything but reassuring. Her be-
trothed took her privately to a famous
London doctor, as a patient in whom he
was interested and the physician gave it
as his opinion that the young lady had
but six months to live. Huxley's reply
was what one might expect:
Well, six months or not. she is going to be my
wife.
And she was. The letters and chronicles
which follow show how happy the mar
riage. so long awaited. turned out to be.
On the eve of the birth OF his first child
he made This entry in his journal:
To snli,e all humbugs however big, to give
a nobler tone 10 science. 10 set An example Of
abstinence from petty personal controversies. and
of liberation for everything but lying; to be
indifferent 10 whether the work is recognized
as mine not, so long as it is done-are these
my aims? 1850 will show.
From this time on the biography is
largely made up of carefully selected let
ters and there is a mass of these which,
il ii were not so full of interesting read
ing. would be wearisome from its very
abundance. But as 1t is, one can only
devour it all and wish there were more. A
letter of especial interest is that written
to Darwin just after the publication OF
the Origin of Species" and in it is
passage which shows that by 1853 Huxley
had already become what he once called
himself. "Darwin's bulldog" The last
part of the letter is as follows:
trust you will not allow yourself TO be in
any way disguste1 annoyed by the considerable
abuse and misrepresentation which, unless great
~ mistake, is in store for YOU Depend upon if,
you have earned the lasting gratitude OF all
thoughtful men. And to the ours which will
bark and yelp. you must recolect that some of |
your friends, at any rate. are endowed with an
amount of conbativcness which Though you |
have often and justly rebuked iD may sta'.l you |
in good stead
| am sharpening up my claws and beak In !
readiness.
Looking back over my letter, 1t really |
expresses So feebly all think about you and your
noble book, that am hai-as!aIned Of it; but you
will understand that. like the parrot in the stWy,
Il think the more
little later he had chance to review |
the book for the Times whose literary |
editor, one Lucas, protested himself quite
unequal to dealing with 1t, and sent 1t to
Huxley. The latter says that he wrote
the review of the book faster, he thinks,
than he ever wrote anything in his life,
and that though, as scientific review. It
was worth nothing. he hoped 1t would
make some of the educated mob" reflect.
He concludes.
And whatever they do, they shall respect Oar
win
The famous Oxford meeting occurred in
1860, and the incident which earned Hux-
ley the bad will Of the Established Church
illustrates quite well the very feeble wit
and illogical personalities with which
clergymen of that day thought ii meet to
confute the arguments of the new science.
There is nothing in all this world quite So
as an ignorant clergyman
who thinks that he is educated. and Ia
spite OF his exalted station Bishop Wiber-
force, who appeared at this meeting with
the avowed intention o. Smashing Oar
win" appears to have been of that type.
There was no stenographic report OF the
but the consensus of the re-
ports of persons there present ia somewhat
as follows:
The Bishop. after induging in glittering
for some time. turned to Hux-
ley. and with smiling insolence. enQuired
whether II was through his grandmother
or grandfather that he claimed descent |
from a monkey. Huxley arose, very quiet
and very grave, and replied substantially
as follows:
II this question is treated not matter |
for the calm investigation OF science. but ,
matter OF sentiment. and II ] am asked whether
should choose TO he descended from the poor |
animal of low intelligence and STOPPING gait |
who grins and chattcrs pass, from a
man, endowed with great ability and splendid
position. who should these gifts to dscredit
md crush humble seekers after truth, ! hesitate
What answer to make.
The reader can decide for himself which | ,
attitude is the most dignified and least ir-
'eligious, Huxley's or the Bishops.
There is but little OF Huxley's views on
'eligion in this biography. for the very
good reason that he shy of express
ng them. long letter written to Charles
Kingsley gives, however. the general at .
itude of his mind on this subject. 1t was ,,
written not long after the death of his ,,
irst born son. Noel, and was in answer to !,
letter OF coincidence In which Kingsley. +,
II a clergyman, gave the grounds for his
aith in Immortality. Huxley's letter is, in
art, as follows:
Ny convictions positive and negative, on all |
he matters Of which you speak, are of lon, ,
nj deep growth and are firmly rooted. But the .
reat blow which fell up0i! me seemed TO stir
hem 10 their foundation, ana had lived I
ouple of centuries .sT!icr ] could have fancied q
devil scoi.ing at me and tliein-ind asking me l