After several fruitless searches in Surrey and elsewhere, we found this
house and purchased it. I was pleased with the diversified appearance
of vegetation proper to a chalk district, and so unlike what I had been
accustomed to in the Midland counties; and still more pleased with the
extreme quietness and rusticity of the place. It is not, however, quite
so retired a place as a writer in a German periodical makes it, who
says that my house can be approached only by a mule-track! Our fixing
ourselves here has answered admirably in one way, which we did not
anticipate, namely, by being very convenient for frequent visits from
our children.
Few persons can have lived a more retired life than we have done.
Besides short visits to the houses of relations, and occasionally to
the seaside or elsewhere, we have gone nowhere. During the first part
of our residence we went a little into society, and received a few
friends here; but my health almost always suffered from the excitement,
violent shivering and vomiting attacks being thus brought on. I have
therefore been compelled for many years to give up all dinner-parties;
and this has been somewhat of a deprivation to me, as such parties
always put me into high spirits. From the same cause I have been able
to invite here very few scientific acquaintances.
My chief enjoyment and sole employment throughout life has been
scientific work; and the excitement from such work makes me for the
time forget, or drives quite away, my daily discomfort. I have
therefore nothing to record during the rest of my life, except the
publication of my several books. Perhaps a few details how they arose
may be worth giving.