From H. E. Darwin to G. H. Darwin [12 April 1868]

Dear G.

I've been a long time answering your last pleasant long letter, wh. gratified us m. We feel quite a reflex glow of triumph at ur being hail fellow well met with all the eminent men of Paris. I thk ur 6 weeks will be a v. pleasant bit of life to look back upon & if I was u I'd make it 2 months & let the May term go hang. U've had a many of 'em. poor Frank's tortures are going to begin now. I spose he's been working hard—at any rate whatever the cause he's written us no amusing letters lately. Did I tell u how v. m. I was reminded of Frank in Ch. Lamb's letters? They are both amusing out of proportion to the real wit in'em. I hope he won't emulate Lambs powers of drinking & smoking. When somebody asked Lamb how he learnt to smoke so fast. He said, I strove after it, Sir, as some men strive after virtue.

The therm has gone up to 40 D this is one reason why I write to u. when it is down at 34^d a howling Nth wind interspersed with showers of sleet & hail, my spirits sink & my temper rises & I immerse myself in reading, which thank the mercies, there'll always be books eno' in the world, & as far as I can foresee I shall want to read'em— How people get along in sickness who can't read passes me.

William is up here for Easter. he & [Ponts] went a disastrous exped yesterday. First to M^r Shorts to try after a horse, where they found no M^r Short & if they had found him there were no horses. Then on to the [Crishial] for a Concert couldn't get reserved seats, were v. cold. Then tried to see 8ft giantess circassian woman & Siamese twins & found they'd all gone & so home. We meanwhile had had a lunz party. M^r Charles Norton asked leave to bring a young yankee who had a great wish to have a sight of Father & hear him emit one roar. They were very modest & said half an hour would amply serve their purpose, but of course we said come to lunz. The Yank was a v. nice man—m. easier & m. talkable than most Englishers—perf at his ease & straightforward. he is quite young & has alrady crossed the Atlantic 7 times—but he says that is nothing. He knew a Lady 15 years ago who then had crossed it 22 times & as she'd been at it ever since he thought she must be up iin the 40s now. I admire the coolness with which they take life. They all leave their London house in May—12 souls in all—& haven't the faintest idea where they mean to go to, & at the same time not the slightest doubt that when they do make up their minds they'll get a charming house exactly where they want, & I've no doubt they will too. Whilst we shall scrimmage now till June & probably go to Eastbourne eventually

Tenr Penel is no go. We've heard of another place but know nothing as yet.

Aunt Fanny & Sno & Ellen Jollet come on Tuesday for a week  the Rucks later on—& later on still Nortons D^r Hooker & William.

Edmund & Aunt Eliz sound pretty dismal—m. plagued with east winds & Eds cough no beter or even worse. I can't help thinking his health is a bad look out. Lena has got home quite safe & is at Walcot with Uncle Ch. She came to Uncle Ch. with tears in her eyes becos the Dorking cock only weighed 7 lbs—so the chicken mania still flourishes  Ed^d talks of coming home on the 22^nd of April.

I wonder if u've seen that the majority on Irish Ch. was 118 or whether u are quite a Gallio & care for none of these things. I, who go in for it have had hard work reading my debates. The new clergy comes in on Sunday week. M^r Innes we are rather glad to thk will not be hanging about Down all this next week to. We dines him last night. His repertoire of stories is not so extensive as Woolners, for we've already come to an end, & the wheel has begun to revolve round again. This simile has gone squash

I am eno' of a man now to do my Origin proof sheets. I shd have felt it horrid degradation if I cdn't have done it, but I'm rather creecky still.

Well, as u are a boy it will be a wonder if u get thro' this so Goodbye dear G. I hope u are still as prosperous—Lizzie is m. m. prosperous now. I thought she w^d get resigned after a bit.

your H.E.D.