Wednesday, written in a scamper | 1855
My dear Tom
Thank you many times for your capital letter1 – dont let mine cast the slightest shadow on your soul – I know how to get back my force, and the point from which I wrote to you was as you rightly estimated past that turning point when the pendulum having swung is about to return. As I read your letter today I felt a stir of vigour which could I but communicate it would dispel all dismay on my account. I had a strange dream about you last night – a dream probably brought on by the mixture of Rhine wine with port during a dinner which I had with Carter yesterday.2 I thought you had shaved off your barb and looked quite a boy as regards years – You gave me I thought some childish excuse for this act, the real reason of it being however that Anna disliked the thing – I thought of the arguments which you once brought forward in favour of it and I felt angry to see you turning recreant to your own creed. I looked at you and seeing you so youthful I said ‘the boy is a child – he is soft & flexible and I have totally miscalculated him’ – I turned away half in anger and met Anna smiling kindly into my eyes – she spoke to me and I know not what necromancy caused me to exclaim ‘By the Lord Tom is right – I would cut off half a dozen beards for her sake!’ –
I gave them a lecture yesterday3 which though difficult appeared to interest every body very much. It was amusing to see the eager attention with which they listened to me, and when the lecture was ended a great number of them with earnest eye, gathered round the lecture table – It cost me an additional half hour to answer all their questions. I have just the temptation you lay before me on your envelope – depend upon it I shall invade Anna’s larder some day soon. I am mightily busy at present having to join a soirée lecture next week at the London Institution4 – I shall modify the letter to Faraday.5 Had I an opportunity of talking the whole subject over to you I think little doubt would remain upon your mind as to diamagnetic polarity.
RI MS JT/1/T/867
your capital letter: letter 1039.
with Carter yesterday: On 6 February Tyndall ‘Dined with Carter at the Gray’s Inn Coffee House and revived some old recollections’ (Journal: RI MS LT/2/13c/726). Richard Carter (1819–95) was the surveyor and land agent from Halifax, Yorkshire, who had earlier employed both Tyndall and Hirst.
a lecture yesterday: see letter 1038, n. 5. ‘The lecture [of 6 February] appeared to interest the audience very much – with earnest eyes numbers of them came down to the table when the lecture was over, and half an hour further was spent answering questions’ (Journal: RI MS LT/2/13c/726).
soirée lecture next week at the London Institution: Tyndall delivered a lecture on ‘On Boiling and Boiling Springs’ at a conversazione at the LI on 14 February. See also Tyndall’s notes for the lecture (RI MS JT/4/7a/51–3) and his Journal account (RI MS JT/2/13c/728).
I shall modify the letter to Faraday: Tyndall had sent Hirst a draft of his reply to Faraday (see letter 1037, n. 1), but subsequently revised the text (letter 1042).
Please cite as “Tyndall1040,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on