My Dear Father,

I am sorry to hear Cap^t 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 y^ds 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.P^s. on Sunday, as they are as easy to distinguish as L.P^s. 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 M^r 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 M^r Fall⁸ that there are very little hopes of Maud, as she is lying insensible—3.30