her relatives having been architects of no mean skill, combining with
their art sound business qualities which placed them in positions of
civic authority and brought them the respect due to men of upright
character and good parts.

During the chequered experiences which followed the marriage of Thomas
Vere Wallace and Mary Ann Greenell there appears to have been complete
mutual affection and understanding. Although Wallace makes but slight
reference to his mother's character and habits, one may readily conclude
that her disposition and influence were such as to leave an indelible
impression for good on the minds of her children, amongst her qualities
being a talent for not merely accepting circumstances but in a quiet way
making the most of each experience as it came--a talent which we find
repeated on many occasions in the life of her son Alfred.

It is a little curious that each of these great scientists should have
been born in a house overlooking a well-known river--the home of the
Darwins standing on the banks of the Severn, at Shrewsbury, and that of
the Wallaces a stone's throw from the waters of the romantic and
beautiful Usk, of Monmouthshire.

With remarkable clearness Dr. Wallace could recall events and scenes
back to the time when he was only 4 years of age. His first childish
experiment occurred about that time, due to his being greatly impressed
by the story of the "Fox and the Pitcher" in Æsop's Fables. Finding a
jar standing in the yard outside their house, he promptly proceeded to
pour a small quantity of water into it, and then added a handful of
small stones. The water not rising to the surface, as it did in the
fable, he found a spade and scraped up a mixture of earth and pebbles
which he added to the stones already in the jar. The result, however,