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Darwin was in town this week and called on Mr. W. H. Appleton, who presented me. I was invited to lunch Wednesday at his brother's, Mr. Erasmus Darwin. There were Mr. D., Mrs. D., Miss D., and Master D. It was altogether juicy and jolly. This was fresh material—no dregs of '68— and it went with a rush. I took Mrs. D. in to lunch. They were all curiosity about America. Mr. D. had just resolved to send two of his boys across the Atlantic, and they leave the last of August. I told him about my lecturing the Brooklyn clergymen on evolution. "What!" said he, "clergymen of different denominations all together? How they would fight if you should get them together here!" They were greatly amused with a spiritualistic paper they had received from Chicago, which stated that if it were known that God were dead [Henry Ward] Beecher would be unanimously elected by the American people to fill his place.

Well, my point is this: that Mr. Darwin insisted on

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having my [science-book-series] project brought up at the British Association and indorsed there. I am going to dine with his boys on Monday night, at the new University Club, to post them up a little before they start for America.

Edward Livingston Youmans (1821-1887), American science writer and publisher.