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Darwin Correspondence Project

To T. H. Huxley   23 April 1873

Down, | Beckenham, Kent.

April 23d 1873

My dear Huxley

I have been asked by some of your friends (eighteen in number) to inform you that they have placed through Robarts, Lubbock & Co the sum of 2100£ to your account at your bankers. We have done this to enable you to get such complete rest as you may require for the reestablishment of your health; & in doing this we are convinced that we act for the public interest, as well as in accordance with our most earnest desires. Let me assure you that we are all your warm personal friends, & that there is not a stranger or mere acquaintance amongst us.1

If you could have heard what was said, or could have read what was, as I believe, our inmost thoughts, you would know that we all feel towards you, as we should to an honoured & much loved brother.2 I am sure that you will return this feeling, & will therefore be glad to give us the opportunity of aiding you in some degree, as this will be a happiness to us to the last day of our lives. Let me add that our plan occurred to several of your friends at nearly the same time & quite independently of one another.

My dear Huxley | Your affectionate friend | Charles Darwin

Footnotes

For more on the plan to raise a subscription for Huxley, see the letter to J. D. Hooker, [6 April 1873] and n. 2.
Several of Huxley’s friends met on 8 April 1873 to discuss the plan and decided then that CD should be the one to inform Huxley of the subscription (see letter to William Spottiswoode, [8 April 1873]).

Summary

Informs THH that 18 friends have given him a fund of £2100 to enable him to take a holiday.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-8872
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Thomas Henry Huxley
Sent from
Down
Source of text
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine Archives (Huxley 5: 295)
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 8872,” accessed on 19 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-8872.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 21

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