els, "Life is
a rum thing." (782/1. This we take to be an incorrect version of Mr.
Roker's remark (in reference to Tom Martin, the Butcher), "What a rum
thing Time is, ain't it, Neddy?" ("Pickwick," Chapter XLII.). A careful
student finds that women are also apostrophised as "rum": see the
remarks of the dirty-faced man ("Pickwick," Chapter XIV.).) As for
myself, I have been better than usual until about a fortnight ago,
when I had a cough, and this pulled me down and made me miserable to a
strange degree; but my dear old wife insisted on my taking quinine, and,
though I have very little faith in medicine, this, I think, has done me
much good. Well, we are both so old that we must expect some troubles: I
shall be seventy-three on Feb. 12th. I have been glad to hear about the
pine-leaves, and you are the first man who has confirmed my account that
they are drawn in by the base, with a very few exceptions. (782/2. "The
Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms," 1881, page
71.) With respect to your Wandsworth case, I think that if I had heard
of it before publishing, I would have said nothing about the ledges
(782/3. "Ledges of Earth on Steep Hill-sides" (ibid., page 278).);
for the Grisedale case (782/4. "The steep, grass-covered sides of a
mountainous valley in Westmorland, called Grisedale, were marked in
many places with innumerable, almost horizontal, little ledges...Their
formation was in no way connected with the action of worms (and their
absence is an inexplicable fact)...(ibid., page 282.), mentioned in my
book and observed whilst I was correcting the proof-sheets, made me feel
rather doubtful. Yet the Corniche case (782/5. Ibid., page 281.) shows
that worms at least aid in making the ledges. Nevertheless, I wish I had
said nothing about the confounded ledges. The success of this worm book
has been almost laughable. I have, however, been plagued with an
endless stream of letters on the subject; most of them very foolish
and enthusiastic, but some containing good facts, which I have used in
correcting yesterday the "sixth Thousand."

Your friend George's work about the viscous state of the earth and tides
and the moon has lately been attracting much attention (782/6. Published
in the "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society," 1879, 1880,
1881.), and all the great judges think highly of the work. He intends to
try for the Plumian Professorship of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy
at Cambrid