were subject to inflammation, and the glasses were blue. His hands,
though large, were not clumsy, and were capable of very delicate
manipulation, as is shown by his skill in handling and preserving
insects and bird-skins, and also in sketching, where delicacy of touch
was essential. His handwriting is another example of this; it remained
clear and even to the end, in spite of the fact that he wrote all his
books, articles, and letters with his own hand until the last few years,
when he occasionally had assistance with his correspondence; but his
last two books, "Social Environment" and "The Revolt of Democracy,"
written when he was 90 years of age, were penned by himself, and the
MSS. are perfectly legible and regular.

He was very domestic, and loved his home. His interest extended to the
culinary art, and he was fond of telling us how certain things should be
cooked. This became quite a joke among us. He was very independent, and
it never seemed to occur to him to ask to have anything done for him if
he could do it himself--and he could do many things, such as sewing on
buttons and tapes and packing up parcels, with great neatness. When
unpacking parcels he never cut the string if it could be untied, and he
would fold it up before removing the paper, which in its turn was also
neatly folded.

His clothes were always loose and easy-fitting, and generally of some
quiet-coloured cloth or tweed. Out of doors he wore a soft black felt
hat rather taller than the clerical pattern, and a black overcoat unless
the weather was very warm. He wore no ornaments of any kind, and even
the silver watch-chain was worn so as to be invisible. He wore low
collars with turned-down points and a narrow black tie, which was,
however, concealed by his beard. He was not very particular about his
personal appearance, except that he always kept his hair and beard well
brushed and trimmed.

[Illustration: MRS. A.R. WALLACE (about 1895)]

In our early days at Grays we children were allowed to run in and out of
his study; but if he was busy writing at the moment we would look at a
book until he could give us his attention. His brother in California
sent him a live specimen of the lizard called the "horned toad," and
this creature was kept in the study, where it was allowed to roam about,
its favourite place being on the hearth.

About this time he read "Alice through the Looking-glass," which pleased
him greatly; he was never tired of quotin