Botanists -- United States -- Correspondence; Gray, Asa, 1810-1888 -- Correspondence
The botanizing was delicious, very many nice things which I had never
seen growing before; our quarters comfortable, and the fare
exceptionally excellent. East Florida, which has large hotels, was full
of invalids and pleasure travelers, making a crowd not to our liking. I
had special botanical objects leading me to west Florida, an
out-of-the-world region, where we had everything to ourselves. We were
late for the oranges, gleaning the last half dozen from the trees of our
friends. My throat is so sensitive that I dare say we shall need to go
again next March, and earlier than before. So, if you will arrange to
join us, I can promise you a pleasant time, and a real rest.
October 11, 1875.
What a capital article it is which your friend Lord Blachford has
published in the “Contemporary” for September, on Huxley’s Automata
hypothesis!
It is long since I have read anything which pleased me more.
Do you know who is P. C. W., in Article 6, of the same number? He makes
one suggestion of some value, that I some day want to follow up.
I am grinding away at my work in the usual manner. We are just in the
glory of the glowing autumnal foliage, and making ready for winter. If
health holds out, here we expect to remain, at least till spring....
TO G. FREDERICK WRIGHT.[97]
BOTANIC GARDEN, July 1, 1875.
DEAR MR. WRIGHT,--Thanks for your letter. It may be that the time has
come in which a collection of my popular articles on Darwinism, etc.,
would be useful.[98] Your thinking so would go far to make me believe
it. But then, you are one of the moderate number of people who have
carefully read them, and one of the few who well understand and
appreciate them,--because you have given the subject an attentive
consideration,--and who are awake to the harm that comes from
theologians and ministers denouncing a view that scientific men are more
and more receiving as probably true. I should like to know how Professor
Park regards the proposition.
I will say that while I am not unwilling to collect them for reprinting,
in case they are called for, it would not quite do for me, in the
position I occupy (I mean as a man of science), to republish them in a
collected form, without entering anew and further into some of the
pending questions; to do which would seriously interrupt the legitimate
work which I have in hand, and to which I am deeply pledged. I suppose I
could add, and should be disposed to add, a note or two,--especially one
upon teleology from a Darwinian point of view,--a subject upon which
there is something still to be said, though I do not see the way to say
it conclusively. You will probably do it better than I ever can.
At present, I think I should let them alone, unless there comes what you
ministers recognize as a call for them, and such a call I should defer
to.
If such as Professor Park and yourself were to ask it, I would see if a
publisher could be got to take them up. But you don’t know how I dislike
to have my name bruited about.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account