From W. E. Darwin 23 October [1862]1
Southampton
Oct 23—
My Dear Father,
I am sorry to hear Capt Sullivan has knocked you up,2 I wonder you have heart for the Lythrum. You will have got my note saying how the first L.P. Lythrum grew. I think I said the plant grew 4 or 5 yds from any other3
I am not sure that it may not have been farther; the plants along the ditch were pretty nearly all solitary plants, so that any how the first L.P. Lythrum is a solitary plant compared to the plant I have last sent you. What an odd thing it is about M.P. Lythrum the pods I sent you of M.P. are all from one plant.
I could easily get you some more M.Ps. on Sunday, as they are as easy to distinguish as L.Ps. and at same time I could measure, if you liked, how far the first plant of L.P was distant from any other plants; only perhaps it will be hardly fair at this time of year, as so many plants may be broken short down. there is one funny thing about the M.P. that I set down as rubbish at the time; that in a clumps of Lythrum, I could distinguish at a distance by the general look and colour of the pods, the M.P.; but could not distinguish the L.P. from the S.P.4
I remember this both the times I have been to get pods, but have always set it down as humbug or odd chances, and so not looked carefully.
Poor little Maud Atherley will not live I am afraid; yesterday she was weaker than ever, and Mr A. told me last night, he thought he should lose her.5 I have not seen him yet this morning which is a bad sign Mrs Pratt has let her rooms at last; three set of people came for them on one day, each a better offer than the other; which is always her luck she says.6
Your affect son | W. E Darwin.
I will send the Saturday Review tomorrow, it is not much of a review, as the reviewer does not pretend to know much about it.7
I do’nt want it back
Mr Keele has just told Mr Fall8 that there are very little hopes of Maud, as she is lying insensible—3.30
Footnotes
Bibliography
‘Three forms of Lythrum salicaria’: On the sexual relations of the three forms of Lythrum salicaria. By Charles Darwin. [Read 16 June 1864.] Journal of the Linnean Society (Botany) 8 (1865): 169–96. [Collected papers 2: 106–31.]
Summary
Sends observations on Lythrum. Reports bad health of Maud Atherley.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-3777F
- From
- William Erasmus Darwin
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Southampton
- Source of text
- Cornford Family Papers (DAR 275: 9)
- Physical description
- ALS 7pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 3777F,” accessed on 28 March 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-3777F.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 24 (Supplement)