His daughter's long illness had left him without hope for months past, but this, as he confessed, did not mend matters much. In his letters to his two most intimate friends, he recalls her brilliant promise, her happy marriage, her] "faculty for art, which some of the best artists have told me amounted to genius." [But he was naturally reticent in these matters, and would hardly write of his own griefs unbidden even to old friends.] 85 Marina, St. Leonards, November 21, 1887. My dear Spencer, You will not have forgotten my bright girl Marian, who married so happily and with such bright prospects half a dozen years ago? Well, she died three days ago of a sudden attack of pneumonia, which carried her off almost without warning. And I cannot convey to you a sense of the terrible sufferings of the last three years better than by saying that I, her father, who loved her well, am glad that the end has come thus... My poor wife is well nigh crushed by the blow. For though I had lost hope, it was not in the nature of things that she should. Don't answer this--I have half a mind to tear it up--for when one is in a pool of trouble there is no sort of good in splashing other people. Ever yours, T.H. Huxley. [As for his plans, he writes to Sir J. Hooker on November 21:--] I had set my heart on seeing you get the Copley on the 30th. In fact, I made the Manchester people, to whom I had made a promise to go down and address the Technical Education Association, change their day to the 29th for that reason. I cannot leave them in the lurch after stirring up the business in the way I have done, and I must go and give my address. But I must get back to my poor wife as fast as I can, and I cannot face any more publicity than that which it would be cowardly to shirk just now. So I shall not be at the Society except in the spirit. Ever yours, T.H. Huxley. [And again to Sir M. Foster:--] You cannot be more sorry than I am that I am going to Manchester, but I am not proud of chalking up "no popery" and running away--for all Evans' and your chaff--and, having done a good deal to stir up the Technical Education business and the formation of the Association, I cannot leave them in the lurch when they urgently ask for my services... The Delta business must wait till after the 30th. I have no heart for anything just now. [The letters following were written in answer to letters of sympathy.] 85 Marina, St. Leonards, November 25, 1887. My dear Mr. Clodd, Let me thank you on my wife's behalf and my own for your very kind and sympathetic letter. My poor child's death is the end of more than three years of suffering on her part, and deep anxiety on ours. I suppose we ought to rejoice that the end has come, on the whole, so mercifully. But I find that even I, who knew better, hoped against hope, and my poor wife, who was unfortunately already very ill, is quite heart-broken. Otherwise, she would have replied herself to your very kind letter.