Misunderstanding

It took a long time before Darwin’s father, an illustrious physican and doctor, recognized his son’s genius. He considered young Charles a good-for-nothing loafter, whose sole aim in life was "to mess up the house with his everlasting rubbish". To put some ‘old-fashioned common sense’ into his head, Dr Darwin sent his son to a classical school. However, Charles had other plans. Paying no attention to his teacher, he fixed up a secret laboratory in the garden.

The teacher labelled him ‘deranged’ and students nicknamed him ‘gas.’ The headmaster repeatedly called him a ‘thoroughly useless creature’ and his father finally had him removed from the school in sheer disgust. But, he went on to become one of the great scientists admired world-wide.