Ɛpsilon

From Henry Johnson   15 October [1881]1

St. Mary Church | Devon.

Oct 15.

My dear Darwin,

Last night arrived here a beautiful new work on vegetable earth & mould by my dear old Friend yourself.2 I shall read it with very very great pleasure. And I have no doubt it is like every thing from the same Author very clever.

The Book has been wandering all over the country for want of my proper address. Mary & I have left Shrewsbury & Ludlow & have come into Devonshire3   You will perceive I think from my writing that my hand is not as steady as it used to be.

But I am truly glad & happy to receive even one line from you. And I thank you with all my heart for the copy you have sent me of your new book. I look forward with much pleasure to reading it.

I hope you are well & all your belongings.

Believe me | dear Darwin | your very sincere Friend & well wisher—

Henry Johnson

1
The year is established by the reference to Earthworms, which was published in 1881 (see n. 2, below).
2
Johnson’s name is on CD’s presentation list for Earthworms (see Appendix IV).
3
Johnson and his daughter, Mary Johnson, were living in Burnham, Somerset, when the 1881 census was taken, but had moved on to Devon some time after that (Census returns of England and Wales 1881 (The National Archives: Public Record Office RG11/2417/102/29)).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13403,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13403