Ɛpsilon

To W. E. Darwin   20 November [1876]1

Nov 20th

My dear W.

The Horse will do very well, & the only fault John finds is that he is too young, which is a fault on the right side.2 So I enclose a cheque, & a real good service you have done us.— I have no news to tell. F. goes on working very hard, & I only fear too hard—3 Your mother is in bed with a cold.

I hope the world is prosperous with you my dear old Willy.

Hooker & Mrs. come here on Decr. 2d4

C. D.

1
The year is established by the reference to buying a new horse, and by the reference to the Hookers’ visit (see nn. 2 and 4, below).
2
In his Classed account books (Down House MS), CD recorded the purchase of a new horse for £75 on 20 November 1876. The Darwins had had the horse on trial from Southampton for a month (letter from Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [24–5 October 1876] (DAR 219.2: 142); letter from Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin, [29 October 1876] (DAR 239.23: 1.53)). John, a groom at Down House, has not been further identified.
3
Francis Darwin was working as his father’s secretary; his wife, Amy, had died on 11 September 1876 (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)).
4
Joseph Dalton and Hyacinth Hooker visited on 2 December 1876 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.1 finds is] ‘is’ interl
3.1 &] over ‘co’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-10680,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-10680