en
investigations of infinitely greater interest to me to which any spare
time I may have will be devoted. I give it up for the same reason I
abstain from chess--it's too amusing to be fair work, and too hard work
to be amusing.--Yours faithfully,

T.H. HUXLEY.

* * * * *

TO T.H. HUXLEY

_9 St. Mark's Crescent, Regent's Park, N.W. December 1, 1866._

Dear Huxley,--Thanks for your note. Of course, I have no wish to press
on you an inquiry for which you have neither time nor inclination. As
for the "gossip" you speak of, I care for it as little as you can do,
but what I do feel an intense interest in is the exhibition of _force_
where force has been declared _impossible_, and of _intelligence_ from a
source the very mention of which has been deemed an _absurdity_.

Faraday has declared (apropos of this subject) that he who can prove the
existence or exertion of force, if but the lifting of a single ounce, by
a power not yet recognised by science, will deserve and assuredly
receive applause and gratitude. (I quote from memory the sense of his
expressions in his Lecture on Education.)

I believe I can now show such a force, and I trust some of the
physicists may be found to admit its importance and examine into
it.--Believe me yours very sincerely,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

* * * * *

TO MISS BUCKLEY

_Holly House, Barking, E. December 25, 1870._

Dear Miss Buckley,-- ... You did not hear Mrs. Hardinge[58] on very
favourable topics, and I hope you will hear her often again, and
especially hear one of her regular discourses. I think, however, from
what you heard, that, setting aside all idea of her being more than a
mere spiritualist lecturer setting forth the ideas and opinions of the
sect, you will admit that spiritualists, as represented by her, are
neither prejudiced nor unreasonable, and that they are truly imbued with
the scientific spirit of subordinating all theory to fact. You will also
admit, I think, that the moral teachings of Spiritualism, as far as she
touched upon them, are elevated and beautiful and calculated to do good;
and if so, that is the use of Spiritualism--the getting such doctrines
of future progress founded on actual phenomena which we can observe and
examine now, not on phenomena which are said to have occurred thousands
of years ago and of which we have confessedly but imperfect records.

I think, too, that the becomi