Ɛpsilon

From W. E. Darwin   [28 January 1880]1

Basset

Wednesday

My dear Father,

I have just received advice of the £600, & am placing £240 to Bessy & £360 to my account.2 It is a splendid addition to one’s income, and I had no idea it would be so large; it makes me thankful to think you can trust us all with so large a sum:

Sara3 sends her best love and thanks, she thinks you really must be pinching yourself to be able to make us so grand a surplus division.

I returned Butler’s letter; there was something of the viper in the tone of the letter, I fancy he wants a grievance to hang an article upon.4

Goodbye Dear Father | Ever your affect son | W. E. Darwin

PS. | I wo’nt invest Bessy’s balance till she is so rich that I can say on my conscience though a Banker that she has an indecently large balance.5

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from Samuel Butler, 21 January 1880; in 1880, the Wednesday following 21 January was 28 January.
2
CD had arranged for the surplus income from his investments to be distributed annually to his children; Elizabeth Darwin’s share was to be deposited in the bank by William (see letter to the Darwin children, 10 January 1880).
3
Sara Darwin, William’s wife.
5
CD had remarked, ‘the only way to feel rich is to have a good balance in the bank’ (see letter to the Darwin children, 10 January 1880).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12440G,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12440G