Ɛpsilon

From J. D. Hooker   29 May 1877

Royal Gardens Kew

May 29/77

Dear Darwin

1000 thanks for your kind letter— the only objection to Dyer for Harriet is that it is ridiculously a propos1 ie common-place—& reminds me of Hogarth’s industrious apprentice—as it did Huxley.2 I never had any ambitious desires for my sons or daughters, & a good scientific man though poor (if otherwise honest, as Sydney Smith? says of a poor man) is the best of all matches in my eyes3. Not that Dyer is poor— he has some £750 of income & will have a few thousands when his Mother4 dies.— What especially pleases me is that he is just the Brother in law I should like my sons to have5    I had long wondered whether D. cared for Harriet & neither my late wife nor this ever made out.6 Still less did we know whether H. cared for him— Now it appears that the attachment has been most strong on Dyer’s part for 4 years, & that Harriet has of late returned it.

I am very glad that you will take up bloom again. I think we can easily send you almost all the things you want.7 We generally have plenty of Desmod. gyrans.8 The nurserymen always come to us for it.— I will let you know immediately. Dyer or Smith9 will attend to all your wants in my absence.

Ever aff yrs | Jos D Hooker

1
No letter from CD regarding the proposed marriage of Hooker’s daughter Harriet Anne to William Turner Thiselton-Dyer has been found; the couple were married on 23 June 1877 (L. Huxley ed. 1918, 2: 206). Dyer was assistant director to Hooker at Kew. À propos: opportune or convenient (French).
2
William Hogarth produced the series of engravings, Industry and idleness, in 1747; the sixth plate was entitled The industrious ’prentice out of his time, & married to his master’s daughter (see Paulson ed. 1989, pp. 132–3 and 355). Hooker also refers to Thomas Henry Huxley.
3
The reference to the work of Sydney Smith has not been identified.
6
Hooker’s first wife was Frances Harriet Hooker, and his second, Hyacinth Hooker.
7
For CD’s intention to resume work on bloom (the epicuticular waxy coating on the leaves and fruit of many plants) and his request for seeds and plants, see the letter to J. D. Hooker, 25 May [1877].
8
CD had listed Desmodium gyrans among the plants he requested from Kew (see letter to J. D. Hooker, 25 May [1877]). Desmodium gyrans is a synonym of Codariocalyx motorius, the telegraph plant.
9
John Smith.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-10975,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-10975