The Journal of a Disappointed Man

October 30. Home once more. The Natural History Museum impressed me enormously. It is a magnificent building--too magnificent to work there--to follow one's profession in a building like that seems an altogether too grandiose manner of life. A pious zoologist might go up to pray in it--but not to earn his daily bread there. October 31. I'm in, in, in!!!!!!!!! being first with 141 marks to spare. Old M----[the servant] rushes up to my sister's bedroom with the news just after 7 a.m., and she says, "Fine, fine," and comes down in her nightgown to my bedroom, where we drink our morning cup of tea together--and talk! I'm delighted. What a magnificent obstacle race it has been! Still one ditch--the medical exam! Wired to friends. November 1. This is the sort of letter which is balm to me:--"My darling W----,--I need hardly tell you how absolutely delighted we were at the grand news of this morning. You must be feeling a huge glow of satisfaction with the knowledge of your object attained through untold difficulties. I don't wish to butter you up, or to gush, but I must honestly say that I feel tip-top proud of my old Beano. I admire your brains more than ever, and also your indomitable pluck and grit, and your quiet bravery in disappointment and difficulty...." November 14. The three most fascinating books in Science that I have so far read are (easily):--1. Darwin's Expression of the Emotions. 2. Gaskell's Origin of Vertebrates. 3. Bergson's Le Rire.