From Leonard Darwin to G. H. Darwin [after 15 March 1873]

Dear George

I am awfully sorry to hear that you are bad again  I am afraid that England will seem very cold after foreign parts if you come back. At present there is a detestable NE wind which nearly cuts one in two. The parents have just come up to town again and the house we have got is pretty comfortable. In re Venus I have heard nothing particular though I believe that that is not to be wondered at as the authorities seem to object to telling us anything till we go up to the DAG, that is I suppose until they have the confidential reports; I hear in a round about way that we shall have to go in for an examination in astronomy which is rather an awful thought  I must begin working hard at it as I have been so worked with other things that I have not had time. I shall easily get up a certain amount I think and I must then trust to photography to carry me through. I have just been staying at Oxford with a man yclept Ferrard whom I met at the Cardews. It seems to me that their course of education seems to give them much more general information than the Cambridge. So many of them seem to have thought on religious subjects And hence to have become sceptic. There is a very plain spoken article in the Fortnightly review this month called ""Are We Christians"" by Leslie Stephens  I have not read it but I hear that it is very good.

This is the first time I have been home for about three weeks so that I don't know the home news a bit. I hear that Ffinden has been making himself v. disagreeable about Aunt Elizabeths land which she was going to sell and only just found out that if she did so there would be no way left to get onto remaining field. Does a written promise to sell, in an ordinary letter force a person to sell afterwards when such an objection as this is found out?

Your affec brother| Leonard Darwin