My dear Whitley

I was very glad the other day to receive your letter. Whoever told you I was wrath at you—a married man—not having written before was the grandfather of all liars.¹ I much suspect it must have been that arch sinner old Herbert, whose imagination, as well know, was ever powerful at invention.²

You could not have written to a worse man than myself for news; for I live out of nearly all society & see none of our old friends, although I shall ever treasure up recollections of them.— I scarcely ever see even the best of good fellows, old Herbert, as I have my hands so full of work, that I am obliged to economise even minutes. Of course you have heard of J. Cameron marriage, & at his conversion into the best of country parsons!³ I should much like to hear some tidings of Frederic Watkins;⁴ there never was a man, who made his conceit so loveable. In the midst of this great smoky city I very often catch myself thinking of my country walks at Cambridge with you, and with Watkins and Venables by moonlight.—⁵

I am the more full of Cambridge ideas, just at this present day, as on Thursday I am going to pay Henslow a visit for a short time.⁶ I have been plagued with headachs of late & am going to give myself a holiday.—

You ask me about my doings and my plans, which, by the way, you did not set me a very good example in performing by not telling me more what you yourself are about.— I should have liked to have known what branch of the fine arts or of literature is the hobby horse.— I know your feelings about science; they are something like those of my brothers, who, when I was telling him some wonderful facts (as poor Lowe⁷ would have said) in geology, exclaimed, “Oh be quiet, I don’t care a damn for the whole Kingdom of Nature”.—⁸

Now for myself,—I am turned a complete scribbler,—I have written a volume of travels, which has been printed some months since but its publication is delayed owing to Capt. FitzRoy not being ready.—⁹ I am editor to a government work of the Zoology of the voyage, which will run on for about three years.—¹⁰ I have got half through a book on geology which will be followed by another, & perhaps by a third!.¹¹

So you will say God help the Public, and in truth in these writing days they need the prayers of all good men.— I often laugh to think that I of all men, should turn a writer of books.— Lastly I am Secretary to the Geologi⁠⟨⁠cal⁠⟩⁠ Society, which however is not much more ⁠⟨⁠than⁠⟩⁠ a sinecure.—¹² Of the future I know nothing I never look further ahead than two or three Chapters—for my life is now measured by volume, chapters & sheets & has little to do with the sun— As for a wife, that most interesting specimen in the whole series of vertebrate animals, Providence only know whether I shall ever capture one or be able to feed her if caught. All such considerations are hidden far in futurity, but at the end of a distant view, I sometimes see a cottage & some white object like a petticoat, which always drives granite & trap out of my head in the most unphilosophical manner.—

Many thanks for your very kind invitation to pay you a visit after the Newcastle meeting; but I shall not go there:¹³ when one gets only a months holidays in the year, one cant give it up to flatter & be flattered, which seems the grand object of the British Association. You see I sneer at science to flatter you, therefore am I a worthy brother in the cause.—

I saw a short time since one of the Miss Hollands, who told me some news about you.—¹⁴

Good bye | My dear Whitley. | Your sincere friend | Chas. Darwin