From H. E. Darwin to G. H. Darwin 19 April [1868]

D^r G.

What a nice pen. I hope it will enable me to wr. u a pleasant letter. many thanks for your favour of this morning—so u are actually coming home. I can't tell u how short a time it appears since u went—partly cos I have vegetated in such a tiresome manner ever since you went. I can't realise that u have acquired a perfect mastery over the french language & made the acquaintance of every scientific & eminent man in Paris— I fear u must pay P.P.C. visits tho' it is a great waste of time—but I think tw'd be rude not to.

My whole heart is penetrated with gratitude to u for your offer about the cat—u are a good boy & that I will say 4 u. 3 days ago I sh^d ahve accepted ur offer with rapture, but now virtue is going to be its own reward & I'm going to refuse—the impediment is an ugly little dawg wh. I have acquired & who has wound herself round my heartstrings so that I sh^dn't^ like to sent her off & I don't think I had better have 2 pets—so many thanks & I won't bother u.

F. went back to Cambridge today along of his snails & hedgehog, this last after some thought he settled to chloroform, thinking it w^d be a pleasanter companion dead than living. Horace will be here when u come home. Father hasn't been getting on or at least I don't kno' that he has until today when he certainly is more comfortable. He was driven up to the greenhouse on the truck & was none the worse. The thing is the immense bruise wh. is partly inflamed, & he thks some nerve is crushed, so I am glad to say Paget is coming down, tho' Father is low at the thought & thks Paget will thk him an old ass for bothering him, but it is much more comfortable. It will be nice to see u again tho' u are so short a time gone. I'm v. sorry the LeBourg affair turned out such a failure. We larfed over u & all the Miss Normans at a restaurant.

I sh^d rather guess it wasn't usually done, but I've no doubt that made it better form.

yours dear G. H.E.D.

Your train instructions shall be obeyed. Remember Cannon St I thk it is better than Charing X. if you can get examined there.