My dear Gray

I was uncommonly glad to get your letter of May 8^th. & it was extremely good in M^rs. Gray to write to me so nice a note.² Very many thanks to her & to you for the answers about Expression. I well know how extremely difficult it is to observe. One of her answers about the “grief muscles” in a negro is of especial value, as I have failed on this head with all the more distinct races of man, & began even to doubt whether it could be general.³ The case of the shrugging the shoulders will also be useful, & that about the head not being shaken laterally for negation, is very disagreeable & surprising.⁴

Very many thanks for all your kind expressions about my accident: my horse fell & partly rolled over me. Paget thought I sh^d require three months to recover, but I was nearly well in 3 weeks.⁵ I have, however, had more pain lately & not been very brisk. My good & dear wife, in consequence, is going to take me, nolens volens, on the 10^th to a house, which we have hired in N. Wales for 6 or 7 weeks.⁶

We all heartily wish you could have given a better account of M^rs. Gray’s strength. It is very disheartening that the voyage sh^d. have driven away so much of the good effects of your grand trip up the Nile.—⁷

I have little to say about my own doings. My regular work has been much interrupted by preparing a new Edit. of the everlasting old Origin, which consumed 8 weeks, & by preparing notes for a French Edit. of my Orchis book. In these notes I give references to all papers on subject, with very brief abstracts; so that I have had to quote you incessantly. I think I shall also publish these notes in English.⁸ By the way I tried to get Orange Judd & Co to publish the new Edit. of the Origin; but the Appletons were too strong for me. They say courtesy prevents them: fear of their pockets, I presume, is nearer the truth. What an evil this stereotyping scientific works is.—⁹ I ought to tell you that they sent me ^£50 for the “Variation under Domestication”, which I think very handsome & which I owe to you.—¹⁰

I have not heard from Hooker, but I see in Gard. Chronicle, that when elected as President for next Congress, he was received with great applause.—¹¹ We have seen hardly a soul for a long time except the Huxleys, & two detachments of Nortons.¹² I then verified a grand generalisation, which I once propounded to you, that all persons from the U. States are perfectly charming.

Farewell, my dear Gray, I often think with pleasure of your visit here.¹³ Give from all of us our kindest remembrances to M^rs. Gray & believe me | Ever yours very sincerely | Ch. Darwin

P.S. | You know how many odd points I want observed: look whether the beards of Germans, when differing in tint from Hair of head, are of a lighter or redder tint? Does Beard & Hair often differ in tint?¹⁴