The Origins of Genius

SIR,-Dr. D. V. Hubble, in his interesting review (January 28, p. 229) of Dr. J. L. Halliday's book, Mr. Carlyle My Patient, calls attention to Halliday's alternative theories about the significance of Carlyle's early recollection of asking his father " what these little black things were that I seemed to create by rubbing the palms of my hands together." Dr. Halliday's footnote propounds the theory that " they could be regarded as offsprings resulting from his impregnation during the preceding mystic but also passively homosexual union with the father." If Dr. Halliday had stopped at the word offspring I think his proposition would be acceptable, but the introduction of the homosexual motif seems an unnecessary seconeary elaboration. Piaget has demonstrated that quite young children elaborate fantasies on the origin of babies, particularly if stimulated by the recent arrival of a younger sib. Not so long ago I observed a small boy of 2 years 6 months who had climbed into his mother's bed in the early morning. While she dozed he amused himself by plucking small pieces of fluff from the blankets, rolling them into minute balls, and then carefully inserting them into her mouth, with the comment, "Tiny little babies." Tommy Carlyle quite possibly had had similar fantasies, and at the age of 5 felt the need to check them up against reality. His question to his father was probably a polite and tactful hint for some specific sexual instruction. I agree with Dr. Hubble that there is no evidence on how Tom Carlyle's mind was working at the age of 5, but 4the present example seems a more probable parallel than the fantasies (correctly Freudian) of Dr. Halliday.-I am, etc.,