July 26, 1894

July 26, 18984 is the birthday of Aldous Huxley, who added to the fame of the Huxley name in his literary career. His 1924 novel, "These Barren Leaves," portrays the cultural elite as vain posturers. An excerpt from this novel:

"There are horrible ways of dying he thought. Once, years ago, he had a beautiful gray Angora cat. She ate too many black beetles in the kitchen, and died vomiting shreds of her shard torn stomach. He often thought of that cat. One might die like that oneself, coughing up one's vitals.
Not that one eats many black-beetles, of course..."

Isn't this typical Huxley, portraying more than he meant to, one guesses.