His clothes were always loose and easy-fitting, and generally of some
quiet-coloured cloth or tweed. Out of doors he wore a soft black felt
hat rather taller than the clerical pattern, and a black overcoat unless
the weather was very warm. He wore no ornaments of any kind, and even
the silver watch-chain was worn so as to be invisible. He wore low
collars with turned-down points and a narrow black tie, which was,
however, concealed by his beard. He was not very particular about his
personal appearance, except that he always kept his hair and beard well
brushed and trimmed.
[Illustration: MRS. A.R. WALLACE (about 1895)]
In our early days at Grays we children were allowed to run in and out of
his study; but if he was busy writing at the moment we would look at a
book until he could give us his attention. His brother in California
sent him a live specimen of the lizard called the "horned toad," and
this creature was kept in the study, where it was allowed to roam about,
its favourite place being on the hearth.
About this time he read "Alice through the Looking-glass," which pleased
him greatly; he was never tired of quoting from it and using some of
Lewis Carroll's quaint words till it became one of our classics.
Some of our earliest recollections are of the long and interesting walks
we took with our father and mother. He never failed to point out
anything of interest and tell us what he knew about it, and would answer
our numerous questions if possible, or put us off with some joking
reference to Boojums or Jabberwocks.
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