Dear Sir:

On the 16^th. of Feb’y last I wrote you a earnest appeal in behalf of my two sisters & myself enclosing three cards upon which I asked if you would be good enough to write your name with the date attached, but am greatly disappointed & grieved at not hearing from you—¹

Thinking possibly that you may have overlooked my request among your other papers &c, I take the liberty of sending you this respectful reminder— Now Mr Darwin, will you not please grant me this request?

If you knew how much happiness you could bestow upon us by sparing but a few moments of your time towards replying to our request, I am certain you would not refuse us our request! Will you therefore kindly honor us with what we so much desire, & for which you shall always have our heartfelt thanks & deep gratitude?

From the tone of my previous letter you will observe that we are all great admirers of yours & that it is our greatest wish to possess these cards written upon by your hand—

I may be perhaps a little too soon with this my second letter, if so pray excuse me; I do it only for fear that my letter may get lost among your papers, & then we should never hear from you—

Oh, Mr Darwin, I beseech of you in behalf of my dear sisters & everything that is sacred to me, as well as my own great desires, grant us this our modest request!

Please be not under the impression that we want your signature for any bad purpose, we want your writing too look at as that of a gentleman for whom our admiration is so great—

I also asked, as you will perhaps remember if you would write “Your well wisher” on each card: will you kindly do this also?

As we have watched, we shall again watch each incoming mail for the much desired reply, & it is our earnest desire that now with this second appeal that you will not allow us to look in vain—

Please excuse me for not enclosing return postage in this letter. We did so however in our first letter & you will find it in there. It is very difficult to obtain an uncancelled English stamp here—

We now leave this request to your kindness & good will, trusting that what I have written again may be the instrument of our receiving the 3 cards from you before long—

With all good wishes for your health, prosperity & happiness, | believe me, | in behalf of us all, | Your young but sincere friend, | James L. Ambrose

James L Ambrose, | 195 Broadway, | New York City, | U.S.