Mary Thacher Higginson, Thomas Wentworth Higginson: the story of his life

was very cordial, yet I felt it more the general temperament of the man than from any personal interest.

Then I went into a Cooperative meeting for a while—working men, who all dropped their H's, but spoke much to the point . . . . Later, I walked through Pall Mall, all illuminated for the Queen's birthday, and crowded with people . . . . I saw one fight and stopped it to the displeasure of the crowd so I decided not to interfere any more . . . .

I saw Herbert Spencer. He was playing billiards as he does every afternoon. Prof. Bain introduced me and he went back to his game, apologizing, but afterwards came to me in the library and we had some talk. I liked him better than I had been told I should. He looks like his pictures and like a Unitarian minister. He is rather small, with large head, bald forehead and spectacles, bad figure and walks awkwardly, manner quite pleasant and cordial with a little that effect of whim and isolation more common with Englishmen than with us. He said billiards were of great value to him as his only recreation and form of activity, and spoke of the great danger of overwork to all. He seemed to have the common impression (English) that there is less freedom of thought in America than here, which seems to me quite untrue. He thought any seeming shrinking on the part of Tyndall and Huxley due to their wives' influence, the only thing he said reflecting on women, nor was he cynical as I had heard. He seemed pleased at the reception of his books in the United States, but said he should never go there as he could