1 December 1884 – 7 December 1884

A fine day. H. and I to Blackdown. We found her last year's point of view, and she sat courageously for two hours sketching in the cold, for 'twas an eager air tho' the sun shone. An immense level of thin cloud stretched moveless from north to south over the great Sussex landscape — green fields, houses, villages, stood forth in the sunlight ; clear, remote, all silent ; near at hand a bold sweeping slope of rusty fern, gorse clumps coming into Christmas blossom, mixed with a few hollies and stunted firs. On the next ridge, a mile off or so as the crow flies, push up through sheathing woods the gray stone chimneys and blue roofs of the Poet's mansion, looking this way with an upper window or two. Then far and wide the map-like prospect from Haslemere and Leith Hill to the South Downs. I walked to the south end of Blackdown, glorious views ; came back with a chimney- sweeper who was taking a short-cut to Haslemere and complained that the farmers do not know the value of soot for land. Found H. very cold, but working still ; and away we walked to Aldworth to find her a cup of tea. On the road we met T. himself, most friendly, who turned back with us and left H. in charge of his Sister ; then he came out again and finished his walk in my company. T. — ' I'm an old fellow and must exercise. One may do without it in youth, but not in age.' W. A. — ' Carlyle used to praise London for afford- ing night walks in winter.' T.— ' I can't walk in London by night. The lights dazzle me.' We spoke of William Morris (from whom I had just had a long letter). T. said, ' He has gone crazy.' I said I agreed with many of Morris's notions. Labour does not get its fair share. T. — ' There's brain labour as well as hand labour.' W. A. — ' And there are many who get money with- out any labour. The question, how to hinder money from accumulating into lumps, is a puzzhng one.' T. — ' You must let a man leave money to his children. I was once in a coffee-shop in the Westminster Road at 4 o'clock in the morning. A man was raging " Why has So-and-So a hundred pounds, and I haven't a shilling ? " I said to him, " If your father had left you ^100 you wouldn't give it away to somebody else." He hadn't a word to answer. I knew he hadn't.' T. said, ' It's a very strange thing that, according to Wallace, none of the Spirits that communicate with men ever mention God, or Christ.' I said I always felt that the Deity was infinitely above us. Another step will bring us no nearer. T. — ' Wallace says the system he believes in is a far finer one than Christianity : it is Eternal Progress — I have always felt that there must be somewhere Some one iz)ho knows — that is, God. But I am in hopes that I shall find something human in Him too. ' Gladstone and Tyndall were sitting at my table, Gladstone on my right hand, Tyndall on my left. Tyndall began talking in his loose way about " This Poem — or Poetic Idea — God." Gladstone looked at him and said with severity, " Professor Tyndall, leave God to the Poets and Philosophers, and attend to your own business." Tyndall fell quite silent for several minutes.' Dinner — T. in good spirits and humour ; compares the cheese to Alpine scenery. I quote Marcus Aurelius about the inequalities of a loaf. T. — ' C. C. would say I plagiarised from Marcus Aurelius. Some one has said that " As the husband is the wife is " is evidently from Scott. " The wife takes her husband's rank." ' Lady Tennyson came down to dinner, very pale — spoke and was spoken to little, went upstairs again, almost carried by Hallam. A dear, almost angelic woman. We were quoting odd and rough verses when the pony-carriage came — and William drove us rapidly to the station, feeling happy with our friendly visit.