Summary

Discusses GHD’s genealogical researches

and his health.

Summary

Distressed by the poor health of GHD and Horace. Asks them to come home.

Summary

Anxious to have GHD come home because of his poor health. Recommends Huxley’s physician (Andrew Clark) – an advocate of milk diet.

Summary

A big book arrived for GHD before CD left Down. Hopes it is Thomson and Tait [Treatise on natural philosophy, 2 vols., 2d ed. (1869)]. It shows what they think of GHD.

Thinks it grand if GHD has made a correction about "such an old sinner as the Sun" and hopes his arithmetic on his old subject will turn out right.

Summary

Pleased that GHD will help with second edition of Descent. Cautions him not to alter strength of CD’s expression or improve the style too much.

Summary

"Frank has sent the cards here."

Summary

Discusses a letter [not found] from R. S. Ball that has quite delighted him.

Describes events at Patterdale.

Summary

Mainly family news.

Eager to read GHD’s political economy MS "though Heaven knows whether I shall understand it".

Summary

Sorry to hear of his illness.

On his visit to J. F. McLennan, GHD might tell him that CD thinks A. R. Wallace would work up McLennan’s materials conscientiously.

Summary

Last issue of Nature has made him "awfully proud". [See R. S. Ball, "A glimpse through the corridors of time", Nature 25 (1881): 79–82.]

Summary

Likes GHD’s article ["Professor Whitney on the origin of language", Contemp. Rev. (1874): 894]. "You have defended me nobly."

Summary

Describes lecture at Royal Institution by J. S. Burdon Sanderson on movement of plants and animals; JSBS’s preliminary part was so long that he never got to the plants.

Comments on the triumph of the ladies in the voting at Cambridge.

Mentions F. Galton’s visit to Down, a call on the Huxleys, and a visit with the Duke of Argyll.

Tells a story about the absent-mindedness of Burdon Sanderson.

Summary

Thanks GHD for extracts, but says the subject of music is beyond him.

Suggests that GHD deliberate over one or two sentences of his paper on dress ["Developments in dress", Macmillan’s Mag. 22 (1872): 410–16].

Refers to prospective marriage of Amy [Ruck and CD’s son Francis].

Summary

He and Emma rejoice that GHD’s mathematical troubles are at an end. It is miraculous that he unconsciously followed the right course – like composing a sonata by a fluke.

Summary

All rejoice that J. C. Adams thinks well of GHD’s work and will present his paper to the Royal Society.

Gives news of his other sons.

Summary

Has sent last week’s Nature wth J. S. Newberry’s paper ["Hypothetical high tides", Nature 25 (1882): 357–8]. CD thinks Newberry is right. This week’s issue has a letter against Newberry by Charles Callaway ["Letters to the editor: hypothetical high tides", Nature 25 (1882): 385].

The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched a series by scientists in the Contemporary Review on what is known and what is theoretical in science. [The series appears to have begun with an article by Robert S. Ball, "The boundaries of astronomy", 41 (1882): 923–41]. CD was asked to participate, but refused.

Summary

Is obliged to GHD for arranging everything.

Sorry about the proof-sheets.

Summary

Asks GHD to determine whether there are worm-castings in cloisters of [Neville?] Court.

Enjoyed his visit to Cambridge. Asks for newspaper account of the LL.D.

Summary

Hasty note to express his most decided opinion that letter [to Q. Rev.] should not give a sketch of GHD’s essay – only an explicit denial "& do not allude to me".

Summary

CD thinks nothing had better be done about the deeds at present.

Henrietta thinks Erasmus Darwin almost too dull to publish.