To W. E. Darwin [5 May 1859]1
Down—
Thursday.
My dear William
Your clothes have been found & sent off.— We have received your nice Monday letter.— I am glad to hear about rifle-club: I think it very proper that every man shd. learn the use of arms to defend himself or country at a crisis.
You will have to reflect soon & seriously about your summer-plans.— I shd like you to have one pleasure excursion. Indeed we shd like you to have no end of pleasure; if that was not a bad beginning for one who must work, or be a poor man all his life.— In 1st. place there is Ilkley in July.2 Secondly Aunt Catherine has just written to ask whether you would like to go with her in middle of June to north of Scotland, for about 5 weeks.3 Mary Parker will probably be of party.4 They will stay chiefly at a few different places, & not travel very much. This tour wd. have advantage of not costing you hardly anything. It would not do to tell Aunt Catherine that you would go, & then change. Thirdly, there is your Swiss Tour: I presume that this would be practicable for two young men even in war-time.5 But it would cost money. It would never do to have both tours & Ilkley; for you would do nothing all summer.— But whether you could afford the Swiss Tour, I know not: if you worked pretty hard I would help you a little with cash.— Fourthly, there is the suggestion of your reading at the Lakes; the country is charming; & if you thought you really could work, I would gladly pay the tutor’s fee (What is it?) & you could come to us at Ilkley at close. No doubt that reading with Tutor in first vacation would get you splendidly on.6 Can you form any opinion whether your Tutor thinks you have a turn for mathematicks? Even if you were not able to take high degree, a course of mathematicks well followed up, must be an admirable training.—7 Consider well; & then come soon to some decision.— You are lad of gumption & will choose well & honestly.—
I have sent 6 first chapters to Printer, & hope to have finished early in July, if health permits.—
I have invented splendid game at Billiard; put 2 coloured balls on Table & play for canons8 only—misses to count 1—spot the coloured balls when accidentally pocketed—play next time with white balls when pocketed up or down, out of Balk semicircle.—9
Your affect.—Father | C. Darwin
Your shirt was at the wash & waistcoat on the pegs.10
Footnotes
Bibliography
OED: The Oxford English dictionary. Being a corrected re-issue with an introduction, supplement and bibliography of a new English dictionary. Edited by James A. H. Murray, et al. 12 vols. and supplement. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1970. A supplement to the Oxford English dictionary. 4 vols. Edited by R. W. Burchfield. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1972–86. The Oxford English dictionary. 2d edition. 20 vols. Prepared by J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1989. Oxford English dictionary additional series. 3 vols. Edited by John Simpson et al. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993–7.
Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.
Summary
Discusses WED’s plans for the summer.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2442
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- William Erasmus Darwin
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- DAR 210.6: 43
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2442,” accessed on 16 August 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2442.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 7