To Dear Friend1 2 January 1822
My Dear friend
I think Erasmus is quite good humered to day as he was yesterday and they have not abused at all,2 I hope you will help me in looking out and washing the fossils out of the plate closet, as soon as you can conveniently,3 I hope you received yesterdays letter—
I remain, you know what
A PUg,4 January 2d 1822
Footnotes
The friend has not been identified. See this volume, Supplement, letter to Dear Friend, 1 January 1822, n. 1.
See this volume, Supplement, letter to Dear Friend, 1 January 1822 and n. 2.
CD had developed an early interest in collecting ‘chiefly seals, franks &[c] but also pebbles and minerals’ (Correspondence vol. 2, Appendix III; see also Autobiography, p. 45). An interest in fossils in particular was shared with his sister Catherine, and his brother, Erasmus (see Correspondence vol. 1, letters from E. A. Darwin, 25 [October 1822] and [10 January 1825], and letter from E. C. Darwin, [c. June 1823]). The plate closet, named after its original purpose of storing silverplate ware, was used by Erasmus to store scientific books (see ibid., letter from E. A. Darwin, [8 March 1825]).
An abbreviation of ‘affectionate pug’; see this volume, Supplement, letter to Dear Friend, 12 January 1822.
Summary
Erasmus Alvey Darwin is good tempered and their sisters have "not abused at all". Hopes the recipient will help "in looking out and washing the fossils out of the plate closet".
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-1G
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Friend
- Source of text
- DAR 271/1/1
- Physical description
- AL
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 1G,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-1G.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 13 (Supplement)
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