ledge Ids character developed, and his political and
theological opinions became firm. “ He was, says
Dr. Frankland, “ one of the most genial, earnest, and
talented students I ever had in my laboratory; he was
a most indefatigable worker, and a skilful manipulator.”
Dr. Hodgkinson, speaking of him to me the
other day, said “ He was the only student of his time
to whom I entrusted delicate and dangerous operations
; he was implicitly reliable, and had a clean, firm
grip of things; there was nothing that he could not
do that he cared to do.”
He had an intimate knowledge of the works
of Darwin, Huxley, and Lyell. Professor Huxley
travelled as Frank did for some months between
Baker Street and South Kensington by underground
railway. “ If merit were properly recognized,” said
Frank, speaking of this one day, “ instead of riding on
th a t abominable line, Professor Huxley should travel
in a coacb and six.” He was fully acquainted with
Sir Joseph Hooker’s Malayan and other adventures,
and was always greatly interested in visiting Kew.
During the latter part of his time at South Kensington
he rode to and from Kegent’s Park on a
tricycle, and had to answer a summons once for
“ furious riding ” and upsetting a street porter. The
officer who brought the charge asserted that he was
riding at over eight miles an hour. The defendant
produced the maker of the machine, who swore that
nothing would make it travel at a greater speed than
five. This, with a quietly humorous account of the
affair from the tricyclist, brought the case to an end
with a nominal fine. .
In addition to his arduous work at South Kensington,
he contributed a series of letters on chemical
subjects to a provincial paper. He wrote several
scientific articles for a technical newspaper published
m New York. He contributed a score of biographical
articles on modern scientists to a magazine, and he
wrote a singularly entertaining essay on “ A Drop of
Thames Water,” which was published in a London
weekly p aper; he translated a French drama by Sardou
for the manager of the Princess’s Theatre; and encouraged
by Professor Becquet, of Lille, he began a
translation of « The Yalley of Poppies ” into French.
During his vacations he visited Holland, Belgium
Normandy, Germany, Italy, and France. A favourite
remark of his was “ a thousand years is but a geological
second ” Upon this declaration he argued that it is the
duty of every one to see as much of the world, and to
do as much m it as is possible in the short time allotted
to us. “ We know nothing for certain about the fu tu re ;
let us make the most of the present.” This was his cue
to exertion, “ Time flies ” was the mo.tto that pushed
him. on. His portrait, and that of Mr. Ashton Wentworth
Dilke, M.P., appeared in the Graphic on the
same page—both young men, both travellers, both
evidently stimulated by this acute sense of the brevity
of man’s existence. “ Life must not be judged by
years, ^ said Dilke a few days before he died. There
is nothing particularly original in these observations
It was Aristotle who said “ it is by works and not by
age that men should be estimated,” and the lesson of
“ the geological second ” is probably from Lyell, whom
Frank had read continually. But it is interesting to
know how such remarkable young men as Dilke and
r rank Hatton have regarded life.
c