To J. M. Herbert   25 December [1880]¹

My dear Old Friend

I was glad to receive your card, but I wish it had been accompanied by a note, telling me a little about yourself—how your health & strength is, & how you support your solitary life.— I sh^d, also much like to hear anything about Whitley.²

Though we have no communication my memory often goes back to Cambridge days, & not long ago the scene of receiving the microscope with the anonymous note came most vividly before my mind.—³ My youngest son Horace now lives with his charming little wife in Cambridge; & when I walked this summer through the courts of St. Johns, I thought of Van John & old days.⁴ Oh dear, life was worth then living, not that I have anything to complain of. My seven children have never given us a moments uneasiness, except on the score of health,—three of them ailing though not seriously, having inherited my poor constitution.⁵ They are good dear affectionate children, & some of them will do good work. My health is better than it used to be, but I live in a perpetually half knocked-up condition. I go on working at Science & in fact I am turned into a sort of machine for observing facts & grinding out conclusions, & am never happy except when at work.—

But I have written too much about myself.— Do sometime let me hear something about yourself.

Farewell | my old friend | Yours ever sincerely | Ch. Darwin

My wife desires to be very kindly remembered to you.—