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Darwin Correspondence Project

To Francis Darwin   21 February [1879]1

Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.

Feb 21st

My dear F.

I have been considering money-matters & conclude that I do not pay you enough, so will add 100£ more.— Therefore 110£ will be paid you on Jany. 1st & July 1st, instead of 60£. I calculate your income will then be 520£, with all expences in this House paid.—2

In about a week’s time George & you will receive a paper explaining another business matter.—3

I have begun this day my chapters on Sleep of Plants & I can see that it will be an awesome job.—4

Oh Lord I forgot that you were to forget the whole vegetable Kingdom

Good Bye dear old fellow | C. Darwin

P.S. Woodward of Brit. Museum (a very good worker in Palæontology) write to the other day & after asking about my health, proceeded, “I hope you are still able to enjoy & share in work going on & to feel (as we all do) that you live again in your son.” This pleased me much.—5

P.S You & George are both rogues & villains, for neither have written for ever so long.—

Footnotes

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to the Darwin children, 21 February 1879.
2
Francis was working as CD’s secretary and assistant and living with him at Down House.
3
See the letter to the Darwin children, 21 February 1879, in which CD explained his plan to divide the overplus of his income annually amongst his children. George and Francis were both in Algiers (see letter from Francis Darwin, [c. 25 February 1879]).
4
CD was writing up chapters 6 and 7 of Movement in plants (pp. 280–417).
5
The letter from Henry Woodward, an assistant in the geological department of the British Museum, has not been found, but for CD’s reply, see the letter to Henry Woodward, 13 February [1879].

Summary

Is increasing FD’s allowance.

Has begun his chapter on sleep of plants [for Movement in plants].

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-11899
From
Charles Robert Darwin
To
Francis Darwin
Sent from
Down
Source of text
DAR 211: 50
Physical description
ALS 3pp

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11899,” accessed on 25 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11899.xml

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Darwin Correspondence Project
darwin@lib.cam.ac.uk

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