My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

234 MY LIFEdo. In letters to Sir Joseph Hooker (in Februaryand August, 1881) he again states his view as againstmine very strongly ("More Letters," iii. pp. 25 and27); and this, so far as I know, is the last referencehe made to the subject. The last letter I receivedfrom him was entirely on literary and political subjects,and, as usual, very kind and friendly. As it makesno reference to our controversies, and touches onquestions never introduced before in our correspondence,I think it will be interesting to give it entire."Down, July 12, 188 1."My dear Wallace," I have been heartily glad to get your noteand hear some news of you. I will certainly order*Progress and Poverty,' for the subject is a mostinteresting one. But I read many years ago somebooks on political economy, and they produced adisastrous effect on my mind, viz., utterly to distrustmy own judgment on the subject, and to doubt muchevery one else's judgment ! So I feel pretty sure thatMr. George's book will only make my mind worseconfounded than it is at present. I also have justfinished a book which has interested me greatly, butwhether it would interest any one else I know not.It is the * Creed of Science,' by W. Graham, A.M.Who or what he is I know not, but he discusses manygreat subjects, such as the existence of God, immortality,the moral sense, the progress of society,etc. I think some of his propositions rest on veryuncertain foundations, and I could get no clear ideaof his notions about God. Notwithstanding this andother blemishes, the book has interested me extremely.Perhaps I have been to some extent deluded, as hemanifestly ranks too high what I have done.