Dear Mr. Darwin,

A few days since I heard from Romanes and Croom Robertson that you and the other kind friends who joined in the fund f⁠⟨⁠or⁠⟩⁠ me three years ago had bought me a microscope; and since then the instrument itself has turned up, and been received with much pleasure and admiration.¹ I cannot find it in my heart not to write and thank you personally for your kind thoughtfulness in this matter. Of all possible ⁠⟨⁠prese⁠⟩⁠nts, a microscope is the one which I can accept with most pride, and best regard as given me in trust for the interest of science.

It enhances the value of the instrument a thousandfold in my eyes, however, that the initiative in the matter should have come from you. I shall be able always to show it with pride to all my friends, and to tell them that it was in part your gift. I am glad to say, too, that my time is not quite so filled now with hack-work as formerly, and that I hope in future to be able to take a little leisure now and again for original observation, in which I have no doubt the microscope will be of great service to me. Indeed, I had intended to buy myself a small one as soon as I had discharged the balance of my debt to you all. This one, however, will be both more useful, and more valuable to me as a memento, for my whole life-time.

With renewed thanks for your very great kindness, ⁠⟨⁠I⁠⟩⁠ am, | Yours very sincerely, | Grant Allen.