Summary

Arrangements for the disposal of the contents of Erasmus Alvey Darwin’s house at 6 Queen Anne Street, London.

The text on EAD’s gravestone.

Summary

Discusses CD’s religious doubts. Fears his work may lead him to discount what cannot be proved, and advises that there are some things which, "if true are likely to be above our comprehension" and "that there is a danger in giving up revelation".

Summary

Kind to send seeds of Aquilegia Brodii. Gives news on her sons. Glad of recent rain to help the hay.

Summary

Emma is surprised how quickly CD has moved into the new house and understands his feeling of triumph. Wants him and Fanny [Mrs Hensleigh] Wedgwood to settle on hiring a cook.

Is reading Mansfield Park [Jane Austen (1814)], which she finds "very suitable".

Summary

The entire family will set out for Malvern for six to eight weeks’ trial of J. M. Gully’s water-cure.

Family news.

Summary

Emma prepares JDH for his visit to Wedgwood factory and Barlaston.

Summary

CD is too ill to write.

As for natural selection, he is more faithful to PM’s "own original child" than PM is himself. To illustrate, CD relates the metaphor of an architect selecting well-shaped stones and rejecting ill-shaped ones. [See Variation 2: 431.]

Summary

CD asks her to tell him how sorry he is not to be there to see Whitney today. He hopes that Whitney will give him another chance when next in England.

Summary

CD too unwell to answer JvH’s letter.

He was interested in the "marvellous ground parrot"

and the report on "naturalisation of animals in New Zealand".

Honoured by election to the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury.

Summary

CD desires her to say that the cream of THF’s letter of congratulations about William [Darwin]’s marriage [to Sara Sedgwick] lay in the P.S. about "the beloved worms, and not in any such trifles as marrying, &c".

Summary

Explains more fully why CD cannot sign Miss Cobbe’ anti-vivisection petition.

Summary

CD has been so ill they must discourage visit by WDF. Recovering slowly with new treatment.

Summary

She agrees that London is the place to settle. She is eager to see him and full of plans.

Summary

Is delighted to learn they have "Macaw Cottage" [12 Upper Gower Street] – their second choice; hopes they have disposed of the dead dog in the garden. Much family news.

Summary

Still rejoices in having found the house they like.

Thinks he might enjoy Jenny [Jane Welsh] Carlyle’s company more away from Carlyle "as she must have her full swing in talking".

Says the wedding must be fixed for the 29th instead of the 24th.

Hopes he will look better than on his last visit.

Summary

Preparations for the wedding, various callers, and other bits of news.

Summary

Tells of the hopes raised by CD’s letter of Monday regarding Anne’s health.

Summary

CD too ill to write.

Has evidence of long life of seed transported on a partridge’s foot.

Sends a squib by Samuel Butler on the Origin.

Summary

CD would be pleased to sit for a bust by Thomas Woolner for JDH, but he is too ill now.

Emma’s views on slavery and the Civil War.

Summary

ED writes on behalf of her husband, who is ill, to thank FH for his letter

and to thank [L. C.] Treviranus for his paper on orchids.

CD wishes to know whether Orchis pyramidalis grows in FH’s neighbourhood. He needs a fresh specimen to compare the stigma with those grown locally.