your holiday, just to read it over
and tell me if you see any flaw in it. I also send my short summary of
Lowell's _Philosophical Magazine_ paper, so that you can see if my
criticism at the end is fair, and whether his words really mean what to
me they seem to....--Yours very sincerely,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

* * * * *

TO MR. F. BIRCH

_Sept. 12, 1907._

Dear Fred,-- ... For the last two or three months I have had a hard
struggle with Mars--not the god of war, but the planet--writing a small
book, chiefly criticising Lowell's last book, called "Mars and its
Canals," published less than a year back by Macmillan, who will also
publish my reply. _I_ think it is crushing, but it has cost me a deal of
trouble, as Lowell has also printed a long and complex mathematical
article trying to prove that though Mars receives less than half the
sun-heat we do, yet it is very nearly as warm and quite habitable! But
his figures and arguments are alike so shaky and involved that I cannot
get any of my mathematical friends to tackle it or point out his errors.
However, I think I have done it myself by the rules of common
sense....--Your sincere friend,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

* * * * *

TO MR. H. JAMYN BROOKE

_Old Orchard, Broadstone, Wimborne. December 2, 1910._

Dear Sir,--Your "monistic" system is to me a system of mere
contradictory words. You begin with three things--then you say they are
correlated with one substance--coextensive with the universe. This you
cannot possibly know, and it is about as intelligible and as likely to
be true as the Athanasian Creed!--Yours truly,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

* * * * *

TO PROP. KNIGHT

_Old Orchard, Broadstone, Dorset. October 1, 1913._

Dear Mr. Knight,--I have written hardly anything on the direct proofs of
"immortality" except in my book on "Miracles and Modern Spiritualism,"
and also in "My Life," Vol. II. But my two works, "Man's Place in the
Universe" (now published at 1s.), and my later volume, "The World of
Life," form together a very elaborate, and I think conclusive,
scientific argument in favour of the view that the whole material
universe exists and is designed for the production of immortal spirits,
in the greatest possible diversity of nature, and character,
corresponding with ... the almost infinite diversity of that universe,
in all its parts and in every detail.