Ɛpsilon

From W. E. Darwin   5 October [1877]1

Basset

Oct 5th

My dearest Father

Thank you for your splendid present.2

No man in the world ever had a more loving father & mother than me or a happier home.

Your visit to me was my great annual pleasure and it is delightful to think that having Sara with me will make it all the pleasanter for you.3

I shall buy her a small close carriage with part of the money, but I shall hardly dare let her know the amount of the present. I have had two such happy notes from Hen. & Richard, it is a blessing what pleasure one’s own happiness gives to others.4

Dear Father | Your affectionate son | W. E. Darwin

I will write to mother from Tilgate5

Please ask her to send me there the address of the Horse buying man6

1
The year is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to W. E. Darwin, 3 October [1877].
2
CD’s marriage present to William and his fiancée Sara Sedgwick (see letter to W. E. Darwin, 3 October [1877] and n. 2) was a cheque for 300 guineas (£315; CD’s Classed accounts (Down House MS), 3 October 1877).
3
CD and Emma had visited William in Southampton from 13 June to 4 July 1877 (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)).
4
William had told his sister Henrietta Emma Litchfield and her husband, Richard Buckley Litchfield, about his engagement (see letter from W. E. Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [28 September 1877] (DAR 219.8: 32)). The letters from the Litchfields to William have not been found.
5
Sara Sedgwick was living in Tilgate, Crawley, Sussex (see letter from W. E. Darwin to H. E. Litchfield, [28 September 1877] (DAR 219.8: 32)).
6
The horse-dealer has not been identified.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-11169,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-11169