My dear M^r. Darwin,

Many thanks for your letter though it does deprive me, in a great measure, of the hope I had entertained of meeting you in the flesh during the summer of the present year.¹ But any notion that your steps could be diverted to the South coast, except in pursuance of the general summer arrangements, never crossed my mind; and I feel quite sure that the “Worms” will rather gain than loose by your enforced abstinence from work during a month or so of residence at Ulswater.²

How greatly are you to be envied who retain your mental & phyical capacities in such perfection! I read a notice of “Circumnutation” in the “Academy” some few weeks back—laudatory of course—and by a writer who seemed able to appreciate thoroughly its worth—and to understand them and it. He ended by saying that it was “intensely hard reading,” which I felt no call to contradict, for I had gone through it like a school-boy with a hop—skip—and a jump.³ But then it must have been still harder writing, and very exacting work, fully entitled to the reward of a sojourn at the Lakes, though “caro Moo-raye”, as L^d. Byron used to call his father, did not feel inclined to make you any recompense for it out of his own strong chest.⁴ How much better people are remunerated for amusing than for instructing others!

I had persuaded myself that the Inspectorship of Fisheries would have entailed the necessity for an occasional visit to this neighbourhood to examine the oyster beds at the mouth of the river at Shoreham; and that the Inspector would have made my house his hotel when he came down, which would have afforded me the opportunity of a pleasant meeting with him from time to time.⁵ He did once pay me a flying visit, and left—not with a promise—but with an impression on my mind that he would come down again later in the year if his many engagements permitted. That piece of good luck for me has never yet fallen out, and I could not venture to importune him, which would be an act of rudeness on my part. But if you should see him again while in London, or should be writing to him after your return home, you might if you thought fit and had no objection, say that in writing to you I had expressed a wish that some whim or necessity would incline his thoughts and steps hitherward to. He could take no notice of the hint, if it did not suit him; and if it did, all he would have to do would be to send a line saying that he had a mind

“To hasten to my sullen isle

And gaze upon the sea—”⁶

When the Spring gets out and the atmosphere more genial a day or two of idleness here would not prove a real loss of time, in the end. No doubt that is seeking my own gratification from his pleasant companionship; but I should like also to say and show him many things which he might not dislike to hear and see—

As you tell me that you have no doubt that this house and croft would make an acceptable country sea side retreat for M^r. Huxley to alternate with his town residence—he shall have it when I have come to my Nirvana.⁷ Indeed I do myself think that it might be conducive both to health and pleasure in many ways to himself and his family, if they are not wedded entirely to London life. And I may as well tell you at once that I made a codicil to my will two years ago, leaving the fee simple of this property to him; which I do not desire to be a secret. But if it should so happen that my sister became a widow during my life time, it is probable that she would not be disinclined to come and live here with me; which would of course be a great source of satisfaction to me—⁸ Then supposing, what is probable, that she outlived me, it is very likely that she might wish to pass the remainder of her life in this house, instead of a rented one over which she was not the mistress. In such a case I should have to alter the codicil by giving her a life interest in the first instance. Bating that M^r Huxley would have the house with all it contains inside and outside just as it now is; so that he would only have to get into the train with his portmanteau and find the premises all ready for his reception, as much as if he had already resided in them time out of mind.

I do not remember any thing else to say at this moment; and do not wish to loose the present post in case you should have left London before this reaches you,⁹—So good bye in a hurry— | Dear M^r. Darwin | Very truly yours | Anthony Rich