Ɛpsilon

From W. E. Darwin   [16 January 1881]1

Basset, | Southampton.

Sunday

My dear Father,

Thank you for your letter and for writing for papers to obtain entrance to the Geolog: Soc: I shall be very glad if my subscription is a help to them.2

I will read your note carefully again before I go to Winchester to look at the ledges—3 I am very glad to read, and so is Sara4 Leslie Stephen’s nice letter and memorandum; and it is a very satisfactory reply. I felt pretty certain that he would not approve of the flyleaf method, and quite expected that he would advise to do nothing.5

I return the letter and paper registered, as it would be a great misfortune to lose it. I am extremely glad that nothing need be done, it would have been such a triumph for the wretch B. I am very sorry to hear of poor old Leo. I hope he has managed to reach Down by this time6

We have a most severe frost— On Friday night Hankinson’s7 Thermometer registered 812°— and mine at 10.20 today was 23°. Please tell Mother that alas her puppy died on Friday, of distemper I fancy. I have only one left, a she. I will look out for a spaniel papa next time.

Sara is pretty well and her holiday has done her good.8 She sends her love.

Your affect Son | W. E. Darwin

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter to W. E. Darwin, 14 January [1881]. The Sunday following 14 January 1881 was 16 January.
2
See letter to W. E. Darwin, 14 January [1881]; CD was preparing a certificate for William’s application for membership of the Geological Society of London.
3
See letter to W. E. Darwin, 14 January [1881] and n. 5. CD was trying to determine whether worms had played a role in the formation of horizontal ledges on steep grassy slopes.
5
CD had asked Stephen for advice about how to reply to Samuel Butler (see letter to Leslie Stephen, 11 January 1881, and letter from Leslie Stephen, 12 January [1881]). Leonard Darwin had suggested adding an errata sheet to unsold copies of Erasmus Darwin (see letter from Leonard Darwin to Leslie Stephen, [10 January 1881]).
6
Leonard was ill in London (letter from Emma Darwin to Sara Darwin, [13 January 1881] (DAR 219.1: 140)). According to Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242), Leonard next visited Down on 5 and 6 February 1881.
7
Robert Chatfield Hankinson was partner in William’s bank in Southampton.
8
Sara had spent time at Down after Christmas (letter from Emma Darwin to Sara Darwin, [13 January 1881] (DAR 219.1: 140)).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13023F,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13023F