Ɛpsilon

To W. H. Flower   19 May [1877]

Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R

May 19th.

My dear Flower

We shall be delighted to see you & Mrs. Flower here on the 26th.— I would suggest your coming by the train which leaves Charing X at 4o12′ (or Cannon Str. a few minutes later) & we will send our carriage to Orpington Stn. to meet you.— I shall be very glad if Sir Victor Brooke can come with you & stay here till Monday morning; but if he desires he can return on Sunday morning.1

As I shd. be extremely sorry to appear rude to Sir Victor Brooke, I hope that you will tell him that I find it impossible to talk long with anyone, & that I have often to go & sit quietly, for if I talk too long my head suffers much afterwards.—

My wife wanted to write to Mrs. Flower, but I have told her that I am sure Mrs. Flower would consider this note sufficient.

Believe me | Yours very sincerely | Charles Darwin

Postmark: MY 20 77

1
Flower and his wife, Georgiana Rosetta, and Victor Brooke visited Down on 26 May 1877 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)). Charing Cross and Cannon Street are railway stations in London; Orpington is the nearest station to Down.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.5 if] interl
3.1 but] above del ‘&’
3.2 this] above del ‘my’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-10967,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-10967