Ɛpsilon

To John Price   18 September [1875–81]1

Down. | Beckenham. Kent. (&c)

Sep. 18.

My dear Price.

I am very sorry for your own sake & for that of your children to hear of your ill health, which sounds very suffering— I most truly wish that you may improve greatly.2

I am worked half to death on Plant-physiological experiments which cannot proceed slowly & I really have not strength to discuss difficult subject with anyone.

I have read Lyell’s works, the older & later editions over & over again, & have discussed evolution with him during many years.— Therefore it would be quite superfluous in me to look to the passages referred to.—3

With sincere good wishes for your fairly restored health.

I remain | My dear Price. | Signature cut off.4

Copy

1
The year range is established by the fact that the letter was presumably written on notepaper with the railway information after ‘Kent’ (where the copyist has put ‘&c’). CD used such paper from the end of 1874 until his death in April 1882.
2
Price’s letter mentioning his poor health has not been found.
3
The passages in the works of Charles Lyell have not been identified; these were evidently mentioned in Price’s now missing letter.
4
The copyist added this note at the end of the transcription.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-13835,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-13835