My dear Hooker

M^rs. Huxley has come here with her children for a change of air, & Huxley has just gone back to London; & says he will come here next Sunday.¹ Can I persuade you to come on next Saturday for the Sunday.² A train leaves the new Victoria Station at 5^o P.M. & gets into Bromley at 5^o 30^’ & my carriage sh^d. meet you & I would send you back early on Monday (if you wished to go) as Huxley must then go. If you can come it would be much pleasure to us all; but I hear from Huxley you are not very well.

Will you send me a line by return of Post; for this reason, I feel bound to ask Carpenter, who about a year ago expressed a wish to this effect, & I sh^d feel much safer if you were here, as I have been continually knocked up of late. But you must not think of coming if for any reason disinclined; & if you do not come, I shall not ask Carpenter. Perhaps in any case he would not come.—³

We have just made up our minds to go to Malvern about 1^st of May for 6 weeks or two months, that I may have a dose of Hydropathy.—⁴ We continue rubbing in the oil into Etty & hope & think it does her good.—⁵

Yours affect^y. | C. Darwin