He put their needs before
other and more fortunate scientific workers and besought assistance for
them.
"The central secret of his personal magnetism lay in his wide and
unselfish sympathy," writes Prof. Poulton.[66] "It might be thought by
those who did not know Wallace that the noble generosity which will
always stand as an example before the world was something
special--called forth by the illustrious man with whom he was brought in
contact. This would be a great mistake. Wallace's attitude was
characteristic, and characteristic to the end of his life.
"A keen young naturalist in the North of England, taking part in an
excursion to the New Forest, called on Wallace and confided to him the
dream of his life--a first-hand knowledge of tropical nature. When I
visited 'Old Orchard' in the summer of 1903, I found that Wallace was
intently interested in two things: his garden, and the means by which
his young friend's dream might best be realised. The subject was
referred to in seventeen letters to me; it formed the sole topic of some
of them. It was a grand and inspiring thing to see this great man
identifying himself heart and soul with the interests of one--till then
a stranger--in whom he recognised the passionate longings of his own
youth. By the force of sympathy he re-lived in the life of another the
splendid years of early manhood."
The late Prof. Knight recalled meeting him at the British Association in
Dundee, during the year 1867, when Wallace was his guest for the usual
time of the gathering.
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