My dear Father,

I suppose you will have heard from the Vice Chancellor consulting you as to what time you will like to take your degree.²

I gather from Hughes & D^r. Phear that they would like you to fix on three or four days on which you could come up, out of which they c^d. take their choice.³ I told you that there were only stated days on which you c^d. take the degree, but I hear now that there is some talk of an extra-congregation but of which no date is fixed & that is why I ask you to name a space of several days— if it included a Thursday I think they w^d. be able to have their choice of the ordinary day or the extra day. I w^d. suggest the week from Nov 18^th.–23^rd. I don’t kno’ whether there w^d. be any degree besides yr’s on the extra day but perhaps there might be   The special day w^d. be a much shorter job than the other because there w^d be no ordinary business & w^d be over in 20 min. The master of Emman D^r. Phear is very anxious for a special day, but I don’t yet know what the Vice C. thinks⁴   There might be a few other degrees conferred on the Special day, but I don’t much think there w^d. be. However I dare say you will have settled it all before you get this.⁵

I am afraid I have been working rather too hard lately & I did an act of great courage yesterday in putting aside my work, but I don’t feel as if I c^d. take an interest in anything else.⁶ I was working a good deal when I really was’nt up to it & was very seedy yesterday & today I c^d. hardly work if I would.

I will try to work a little easier when I start again, but you can’t think what a pang it cost me to lay it aside (The rest is the fag end of a letter I wrote last night in consequence of some bother about y^r degree but which is all removed by what I heard afterwards) even for a day, for I am just bearing down on the most interesting point.

However I went on till I had finished the most difficult point, & I shall be able to take up the thread again now that that is down in black & white. I feel almost confident now that tides in the body of the Earth will have altered the obliquity of the Ecliptic—& there’s a grand result for the geologists to play with. How much & which way I hav’nt the least idea but I suspect it would take a million years even with a very perceptible earth tide to make a considerable change in the obliquity. But we’ve got a good bank of time to draw on & surely even a few degrees of change in geological history wd be very important.

I think it is just on the cards that it may turn out to be an inequality of enormous period say a million years decreasing & then a million increasing but I don’t quite see my way to that yet.

I am so very glad to hear poor Hen. is about again⁷   I hadn’t the least idea that you were going to pay a visit to London. I hope you will find Uncle Ras tol. Perhaps I will run up for a night— how long do you stay. perhaps tomorrow⁸

I wonder whether you c^d. persuade Frank to come up to Cambridge for your L.LD— Newton Clark & others w^d. be so very glad to see him. Is Bessy in London with you?⁹

Your affectionate son | G. H. Darwin

I’ve left off tee-totalling for I don’t think it suited & I must say like my wine very much

Will you send me a telegram if there is not room for me— I think a day or two’s change may get me up again