Ɛpsilon

From E. A. Darwin   31 August [1877]1

31 Aug.

Dear Charles

I send you Divd.2 I have just been reading a novel I recommend you to try “The Hon Miss Ferrard”3   I’m not at all sure you will like it but I’m quite sure Emma wont. She has lovely eyes & does not say ten words in three volumes. There is a charming love scene in breaking in a colt. The third vol is by far the best & one does not feel sure how it will end up to the very last. Some irish politics you’ll have to skip judiciously but that I believe Emma is an adept in.

Yours EAD

1
The year is established by the publication date of the novel (see n. 3, below).
2
The dividends were probably for shares that belonged to Emma Darwin; Erasmus was one of the trustees of Emma’s property (see Correspondence vol. 3, letter to Solicitor?, 1 October 1844).
3
The novel appeared as The Hon. Miss Ferrard ‘by the author of “Hogan, M.P.”’ ([Laffan] 1877). The author was later revealed to be Mary (May) Laffan. The novel was published in July 1877 (Publishers’ Circular, 17 July 1877, p. 487).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-11123,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-11123