The Journal of a Disappointed Man

I chanced to remark that I thought torsion in gastropods one of the most fascinating and difficult problems in Zoology. Why should a snail be twisted round? "Humph," said he, "why do we stand upright?" I was not such a fool as to argue with him, so pretended his reply was a knock-out. But it enabled me to size him up intellectually. In the evening dined with him at his hotel.... He knows Wallace and Haeckel personally, and I sat at his feet with my tongue out listening to personal reminiscences of these great men. However, he seemed never to have heard of Gaskell's Theory on the Origin of Vertebrates. June 27. Walked to V----. As usual, Nature with clockwork regularity had all her taps turned on--larks singing, cherries ripening, and bees humming. It all bored me a little. Why doesn't she vary it a little? August 8. A cold note from Dr. ---- saying that he cannot undertake the responsibility of advising me to give up journalism for zoology. A hellish cold in the head. Also a swingeing inflammation of the eyes. Just heard them singing in the Chapel over the way: "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Hope so, I'm sure. August 9. A transformation. After a long series of drab experiences in Sheffield, etc., the last being the climax of yesterday, an anti-cyclone arrived this morning and I sailed like an Eagle into cloudless, windless weather! The Academy has published my article, my cold is suddenly better, and going down by the sea this afternoon met Mary ----!