Huxley," II., page 12) he writes: "I hope you do not imagine because I had nothing to say about 'Natural Selection' that I am at all weak of faith on that article...But the first thing seems to me to be to drive the fact of evolution into people's heads; when that is once safe, the rest will come easy.") Down, May 11th, 1880.
I had no intention to make you write to me, or expectation of your doing so; but your note has been so far "cheerier" (299/2.

"You are the cheeriest letter-writer I know": Huxley to Darwin.

See Huxley's "Life," II., page 12.) to me than mine could have been to you, that I must and will write again.

I saw your motive for not alluding to Natural Selection, and quite agreed in my mind in its wisdom.

But at the same time it occurred to me that you might be giving it up, and that anyhow you could not safely allude to it without various "provisos" too long to give in a lecture.