it either wholly, or leaving to me the opening and concluding paragraphs.  I was very weak—­almost a skeleton—­but I am now getting much better.  But finishing up the “Spruce” book, and now all these honours and congratulations and letters, etc., are giving me much work, yet I am getting strong again, and really hope to do this “lecture” as my last stroke for Darwinism against the Mutationists and Mendelians, but much more effective, I hope, than my article in the August Contemporary Review, though that was pretty strong.—­Yours very sincerely,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

How more than true “Sunlight’s"[64] words have come, “You will come out of the hole!  You will be more in the world.  You will have satisfaction, retrospection, and work”!  Literally fulfilled!—­A.R.W.

* * * * *

And to Mr. F. Birch: 

December 30, 1908.

Dear Fred,—­ ...  I received a letter from Lord Knollys—­the King’s Private Secretary—­informing me that His Majesty proposed to offer me the Order of Merit, among the Birthday honours!  This is an “Order” established by the present King about eight years ago, solely for “merit”—­whether civil or military—­it is a pity it was not civil only, as the military have so many distinctions already.  So I had to compose a very polite letter of acceptance and thanks, and then later I had to beg to be excused (on the ground of age and delicate health) from attending the investiture at Buckingham Palace (on December 14th), when Court dress—­a kind of very costly livery—­is obligatory! and I was kept for weeks waiting.  But at last one of the King’s Equerries, Col.  Legge (an Earl’s son), came down here about two weeks ago bringing the Order, which is a very handsome cross in red and blue enamel and gold—­rich colours—­with a crown above, and a rich ribbed-silk blue and crimson riband to hang it round the neck!  Col.  Legge was very pleasant, stayed half an hour, had some tea, and showed us how to wear it.  So I shall be in duty bound to wear it on the only public occasion I shall be seen again (in all probability), when I give (or attempt to give) my lecture.[65] Then, I had a letter from Windsor telling me that chalk portraits of all the members of the Order were to be taken for the collections in the Library, and a Mr. Strang came and stayed the night, and in four hours completed a very good life-size head, in coloured chalk, and so far, so good!—­Yours very sincerely, ALFRED R. WALLACE.

* * * * *

Wallace regarded “Sunlight’s” prophecy about “retrospection” as being fulfilled in 1904, when he received the invitation of Messrs. Chapman and Hall to begin collecting material for his autobiography which was subsequently published in two large volumes, under the title of “My Life.”

Referring to this work he wrote to Mrs. Fisher: 

Broadstone, Dorset.  April 17, 1904.