Life and letters of Thomas Hodgkin / by Louise Creighton.

  • Thomas Hodgkin
Date:
1917
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Life and letters of Thomas Hodgkin / by Louise Creighton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    451/494 (page 409)
    number, and the nature of the questions addressed to him shows the estimation in which his wide knowledge was held. He never found it easy to depute work to others, and it took a long timefor him to get used to dictating to a secretary, though he took to it in his later years and was very thankful for the help given him. He shared his letters with wife and daughter and readily agreed to the compact made with him by his daughter, that she might open and read any letter to him or from him, but that he must on no account touch her letters. The latter part of the compact caused him no difficulty, for he was quite without inquisitive¬ ness. He had no desire to know anything not meant for him, though love affairs always interested him. He was particularly keen to find wives for his sons. On being shown a new doll by one of his daughters in early days, he would say, ‘ No, I don’t like her. I don’t think she would make a good wife for Edward ’ ; or ' That doll’s expression is vapid ; I shouldn’t like Edward to marry a wife like that ’ ; or * I’m afraid there’s no doubt she’s a minx. Whatever happens, Edward must not marry a minx.’ Perhaps the three happiest days in his life were those after his eldest son’s engagement. But the mere thought of losing one of his daughters terrified him. He did not, especially in later years, allow sad thoughts or worries to hang about him. His was a very sensitive nature, joys and sorrows alike were keenly felt, and in letters and diaries sometimes the sad side of life seems to be prominent in his thoughts. But joy and thankfulness, too, find constant expression, and more and more as the years passed did he feel it a duty to cultivate the spirit of joy, so that he seemed to express the sunny joyousness of life. Worries were put away by a definite effort of will, and by a determination to turn his thoughts to happy things. If a letter came that he expected would be worrying, he used to give it to his wife to open and read first, or, if it came at night, keep it unopened till the next morning. He would write out a full answer to a quarrelsome letter in order ‘ to get it out of the system,’ and then tear it up and write a much shorter and gentler one, which at least clothed with kind words what he really felt. A worry would