Writing to Dr. Dohrn on September 24, Huxley says:—­]

Heavy blows have fallen upon me this year in losing Darwin and Balfour, the best of the old and the best of the young.  I am beginning to feel older than my age myself, and if Balfour had lived I should have cleared out of the way as soon as possible, feeling that the future of Zoological Science in this country was very safe in his hands.  As it is, I am afraid I may still be of use for some years, and shall be unable to sing my “Nunc dimittis” with a good conscience.]

Darwin was in correspondence with him till quite near the end; having received the volume “Science and Culture,” he wrote on January 12, 1882:—­

With respect to automatism (The allusion is to the 1874 address on “Animals as Automata,” which was reprinted in “Science and Culture."), I wish that you could review yourself in the old, and, of course, forgotten, trenchant style, and then you would have to answer yourself with equal incisiveness; and thus, by Jove, you might go on ad infinitum to the joy and instruction of the world.

And again on March 27:—­

Your most kind letter has been a real cordial to me...once again accept my cordial thanks, my dear old friend.  I wish to God there were more automata in the world like you.

Darwin died on April 19, and a brief notice being required for the forthcoming number of “Nature” on the 27th, Huxley made shift to write a brief article, which is printed in the “Collected Essays” 2 page 244.  But as neither he nor Sir Joseph Hooker could at the moment undertake a regular obituary notice, this was entrusted to Professor Romanes, to whom the following letters were written.]

4 Marlborough Place, April 26, 1882.

My dear Romanes,

Thank you for your hearty letter.  I spent many hours over the few paragraphs I sent to “Nature,” in trying to express what all who thoroughly knew and therefore loved Darwin, must feel in language which should be absolutely free from rhetoric or exaggeration.

I have done my best, and the sad thing is that I cannot look for those cheery notes he used to send me in old times, when I had written anything that pleased him.

In case we should miss one another to-day, let me say that it is impossible for me to undertake the obituary in “Nature.”  I have a conglomeration of business of various kinds upon my hands just now.  I am sure it will be very safe in your hands.

Ever yours very faithfully,

T.H.  Huxley.

Pray do what you will with what I have written in “Nature.”

4 Marlborough Place, May 9, 1882.

My dear Romanes,

I feel it very difficult to offer any useful criticism on what you have written about Darwin, because, although it does not quite please me, I cannot exactly say how I think it might be improved.  My own way is to write and rewrite things, until by some sort of instinctive process they acquire the condensation and symmetry which satisfies me.  And I really could not say how my original drafts are improved until they somehow improve themselves.