AS TO PROFESSOR HUXLEY.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2557, 17 March 1877, Page 3

AS TO PROFESSOR HUXLEY.

The/eminent English .scientist, Professor Huxley, made but a short stay in Npw York," but his arrival was the cause of a conversation between one of her amateur scientists and a matter-of-fact friend-that seem • to b^ worth reporting. The amatenr is an enthusiastic admirer of Huxley, and he spoke so extravagantly about him that the friend finally became curiousj and asked:— "Who in thunder is Huxley, anyway ? " "You don't mean to say you have not heard about Professor Huxley, the great scientist ? " " Yes, Ido though. Never heard his name before. What has he done ? " " Why, man, Huxley made the important discovery about protoplasm." "About what?" "Protoplasm." "And what: the dickens is protoplasm P " " Now, look here, you don't mean to sit there and tell me you don't know what protoplasm is P " ;; " That's just it. Nary protoplasm." " Well, protoplasm is what we may call the life principle.",. " A nything to do with insurance P " " Oh, nonsense; the life principal is nature; the starting point of vital action, ja to speak."; , . : " He discovered that, did he P " " Yes.a few years 8go,; in England." " And what, good is it going to do P " "Good! A great deal of good. It expands the circle of human knowledge, and is valuable in bearing out the theory of evolution! It is a noble contribution to seiem-e. and it has made Huxley one of the few immortal names that were not born to die." ■ .. • "So Huxley knows all about the life principle, does he P " ■ "Yes, all about it." v ; ' "And the starting point of final action?" ; "Exactly." " Well, sep here now; can he take some of that protoplasm and go to work and make a man, or a horse, or an elephant with it P" -...-. " < >h, no, he couldn't do that." " Can he take it and make anything at all of it, even a gnat.or a fly ? " "I guess not" "Well, then, he may just go to thunder with bis protoplasm. I don't believe it's worth ten cents a pound anyhow. 'Pears to me these scientific fellows put on a big lot of airs about very little. Protoplasm, eh? "Shouldn't wonder if Huxley came over here to get up a company to work it. Did you say the mine is in England P The scientist gave him up in despair. -—American paper. ;