From R. S. Pattrick   19 October 1881

Bideford

Oct 19. 1881

Dear Mr. Darwin—

Thank you very much for your kindness in sending me a copy of your book.1 It came the day before Camilla and I left Sellinge for Devonshire which must be my excuse for not thanking you for it before.2 The worms in our garden pull the leaves of the Horse Chestnuts into their holes till the lawn looks like a stubble field. An old man who was working for us said he supposed it was their Moosement (Amusement)

Believe me, with many thanks, | Yrs very truly | R S. Pattrick

I have just seen the picture in Punch3

1
Pattrick’s name is on CD’s presentation list for Earthworms (see Appendix IV).
2
Camilla Pattrick had been the Darwin family’s governess before marrying Pattrick, who was the vicar of Sellinge.
3
A caricature of CD appeared in Punch (see letter from W. R. S. Ralston, 18 October 1881 and n. 1).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13416,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13416