| Detailed reference: |
The following, said to be an authentic anecdote of Charles Darwin, is going the round of the American papers. It refers to his old age — the pe-riod when he was bringing out his books on the habits of plants. His health was poor; and an old family servant—a woman—overhearing his daughter express some anxiety about his condition, sought to reassure her by say-ing:— "Hi believe master 'd be hall right, madam, hif 'e only 'ad some-thin' to hoccupy 'is mind; sometimes 'e stands in the conservatory from mornin' till night—just a-lookin' at the flowers. Hif 'e only 'ad somethin' to do, 'e 'd be hevver so much better, hi'm sure." The spinner of this story says, "no one enjoyed the joke more than the great naturalist himself." |
