As mentioned above, he wrote for the November number an introductory article called "Past and Present," comparing the state of scientific thought of the day with that of twenty-five years before, when the journal was first started. To celebrate the occasion, a dinner was to be held this same month of all who had been associated with "Nature", and this Huxley meant to attend, as well as the more important anniversary dinner of the Royal Society on St. Andrew's Day.] I have promised [he writes on November 6 to Sir M. Foster] to go to the "Nature" dinner if I possibly can. Indeed I should be sorry to be away. As to the Royal Society nothing short of being confined to bed will stop me. And I shall be good for a few words after dinner. Thereafter I hope not to appear again on any stage. [His letter about the medal expresses his feelings as to the award.] Hodeslea, November 2, 1894. My dear Foster, Didn't I tell the P.R.S., Secretaries, Treasurer, and all the Fellows thereof, when I spoke about Hooker years ago, that thenceforth the Darwin Medal was to be given to the young, and not to useless old extinct volcanoes? I ought to be very angry with you all for coolly ignoring my wise counsels. But whether it is vanity or something a good deal better, I am not. One gets chill old age, and it is very pleasant to be warmed up unexpectedly even against one's injunctions. Moreover, my wife is very pleased, not to say jubilant; and if I were made Archbishop of Canterbury I should not be able to convince her that my services to Theology were hardly of the sort to be rewarded in that fashion. I need not say what I think about your action in the matter, my faithful old friend. With our love to you both. Ever yours, T.H. Huxley. I suppose you are all right again, as you write from the R.S. Liver permitting I shall attend meeting and dinner. It is very odd that the Medal should come along with my pronouncement in "Nature", which I hope you like. I cut out rather a stinging paragraph at the end. Hodeslea, Eastbourne, November 11, 1894. My dear Donnelly, Why on earth did I not answer your letter before? Echo (being Irish) says, "Because of your infernal bad habit of putting off; which is growing upon you, you wretched old man." Of course I shall be very glad if anything can be done for S--. Howes has written to me about him since your letter arrived--and I am positively going to answer his epistle. It's Sunday morning, and I feel good. You will have seen that the R.S. has been giving me the Darwin Medal, though I gave as broad a hint as was proper the last time I spoke at the Anniversary, that it ought to go to the young men. Nevertheless, with ordinary inconsistency of the so-called "rational animal," I am well pleased.