From Asa Gray 31 March [1862]
Cambridge. [Massachusetts]
⟨M⟩arch 31. | ⟨1862⟩
My D⟨ear Darwin⟩
⟨Yours of⟩ the 15 came this evening.1 ⟨To⟩-morrow I am busy all day in College (where I began my course this year with lectures on Fertilization, developing your views on Orchid-Insect. fertilization, dimorphism, &c,—&c—to an interested class!)—2so I must drop a line for you into a letter for Boott, for Wednesday’s post.3
A friend has just handed me Morell’s new book, which—looking at psychology from the physiological side I see brings up several notions which have been turning ov⟨er⟩ in my mind for some years⟨.⟩4 He is coming out a good D⟨ar⟩winian, I see, and is qu⟨ite of⟩ my way of thinking ab⟨out⟩ design. You see ⟨I am⟩ determined to baptize ⟨ ⟩ng nolen⟨s vo⟩lens, which ⟨will⟩ be its ⟨salvation⟩ But if you won’t ⟨have it⟩ done it will be damn⟨ed⟩, I fear.
A few days ago I had a letter from Trübner, informing me that he had ordered his agent in Boston to pay me £8. from the sale of 200 copies of my pamphlet!5
Now this should have been paid to you, and it shall be presently, when I shall have funds on your side of the water. For, you are to remember that I took about £50— I cannot find the mem. ⟨ ⟩ the exact amount now—which ⟨Ap⟩pleton & Co sent me for ⟨your⟩ book, to pay the printers with, as far as it would ⟨ ⟩6
How much Ticknor ⟨ha⟩s sold here, I know not.7 ⟨ ⟩ not much, and that ⟨ ⟩ no pains. I have asked for an account,—thus far in vain. When I get it I will communicate with you. Doubtless I could send you lots of copies to give away, if you like, and any body now cares for such matters.
Things move on here—on the whole very well.
Yes, I will promise not to hate you:—quite the contrary!8 Our sensitiveness as to England was the natural result of the strong filial feeling on our part. It was very undignified I dare say, But I think we are getting bravely over it, and getting really not to care what the Old country may think or say,—so it lets us alone.
As to rebeldom, there is now hardly any State that we have not got some foot-hold in.
I do not do so much scientific work as before the war,—but still I keep pottering away. From now till July, I can expect to do little besides my College duties.—
Ever, dear Darwin | Your cordial friend | and true Yankee | A. Gray
CD annotations
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Dupree, Anderson Hunter. 1959. Asa Gray, 1810–1888. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University.
Morell, John Daniel. 1862. An introduction to mental philosophy, on the inductive method. London.
Origin: On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1859.
Summary
Has been reading J. D. Morell’s new book on psychology [An introduction to mental philosophy, on the inductive method (1862)].
Progress of the Civil War.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3489
- From
- Asa Gray
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Cambridge Mass.
- Postmark
- AP. 16 | 62
- Source of text
- DAR 165: 108
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp damaged †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3489,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3489.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 10
