world-famous theory of the origin and descent of mankind. What a
singular name Darwin seemed to me, too, the first time I heard it.

The Old Squire was a great reader, for a Maine farmer, who as a rule has
little time for that, during the summer season. But he always caught a
few minutes for his newspapers at breakfast, or dinner, although we did
not then take a daily paper.

The old gentleman had not received a college education, but he had once
attended Fryeburg Academy, at the time Daniel Webster taught there, and
afterwards had been a student for two terms at Hebron Academy. Even at
the age of sixty-nine he retained a somewhat remarkable thirst for
information of all kinds. I remember that he would sit for a whole
evening, poring so intently in a volume of Chamber's _Encyclopaedia_ as
to be hardly aware of what was going on in the room about him. After a
manner, too, he kept pretty well posted, not only on events of current
history and politics, but of scientific progress.

That spring of 1866, he had privately sent to an acquaintance in
Portland to procure for him a copy of _The Origin of Species_, then a
new book, to which he had seen brief allusions in our weekly newspapers,
and concerning which he felt much curiosity. He read it all through,
carefully, without saying much, if anything, about it to Gram, or any
one else. But Elder Witham found out, somehow, that there was such a
book in our house, and his animosity against it was much excited.

Before prayers that Sunday morning the Old Squire looked around--though
I think he had Addison and Theodora chiefly in mind--and said, "There is
a man in England, named Darwin, Charles Darwin, who has written a book,
called _The Origin of Species_, of which a great deal begins to be said.
This Darwin is a scholarly man and writes modestly. I see that a great
many appear to be adopting his views. He holds that man has risen from
certain lower animals, somewhat like the monkeys, or apes, and therefore
that we are related by descent to these animals, instead of having been
created perfect, as the Bible seems to teach.

"This man Darwin brings forward a great many things in support of his
views, some of which seem reasonable. He appears to be a sincere man,
and as such ought not to be condemned hastily. I think it is still too
soon to form a decided opinion as to this, and that it is safer for us
to go on believing as the Scriptures teach.

"I mention this," the Old Squir