What discoveries
he might make! What joy he must have on seeing the things described in
the letter, such things as Dr. Wallace himself had seen in Brazil so
long ago!"
Wallace's critical faculty was always keen and vigilant. Unlike some
critics, however, he relished genuine and well-informed criticism of his
own writings. Flattery he despised; whilst the charge of dishonesty
aroused strongest resentment. Deceived he might be, but he required
clear proof that his own eyes and ears had led him astray. Romanes, who
had propounded the forgotten theory of physiological selection, charged
Wallace with adopting it as his own. This was not only untrue, it was
ridiculous; and Wallace, after telling him so and receiving no apology,
dropped him out of his recognition. During Romanes' illness Mr.
Thiselton-Dyer wrote to Wallace and sought to bring about a
reconciliation, and Wallace replied:
* * * * *
_Parkstone, Dorset. September 26, 1893._
My dear Thiselton-Dyer,--I am sorry to hear of Romanes' illness, because
I think he would have done much good work in carrying out experiments
which require the leisure, means and knowledge which he possesses. I
cannot, however, at all understand his wishing to have any communication
from myself. I do not think I ever met Romanes in private more than
once, when he called on me more than twenty years ago about some curious
psychical phenomena occurring in his own family; and perhaps half a
dozen letters--if so many--may have passed between us since.
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