A Neat Reply.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVI, Issue 23, 9 June 1906, Page 17

A Neat Reply.

Here is an anecdote um*c n*lated by Herbert Spencer—who. by the way, was rather heavy in hand when he umlert<»ok to play story teller. Apropos of Huxley’s humour he described a dinner of distinguished authors: — Over their cigarettes they fell to discussing their various methods of commencing to write. One said he wrote and wrote, ton* up, then wrote again, and so on. George lx*wes. who was present, looked surprised, and then cried out: “Oh. I’m not like that. 1 commence to write at once, directly the pen is in my hand. In fact, boil at a low temperature.” “Indeed,” cut in Mr Huxley, “that is very interesting, for, as you know, to boil at a low temperature implies a vacuum in the upper region.” ]x*wes himself was the first to lead the shout of laughter which of course greeted this clever repartee.