Ɛpsilon

To W. D. Fox   29 [July 1853]

13. Sea Houses | Eastbourne

29th.

My dear Fox

Susan has forwarded your letter to her, here.— What a fearful state you have been, & indeed, I fear, still are in.— I hardly ever heard of anyone having passed through a worse ordeal.1 I am deeply rejoiced that your health has as yet stood it. How earnestly both Emma & I hope that your poor little girl may be spared.—2 I write this chiefly to show that I have heard about you.

I am so sorry I sent off my former letter on indifferent subjects to you.—3 But the case has been incomparably worse than I dreamed of. I did not even know how completely the two poor Boys had been domesticated with you.—4 You have our deepest sympathy.

My dear Fox | Very affectionately yours | C. Darwin.

In some weeks or months to come, perhaps you will write to me.

1
The deaths from scarlet fever of the two boys residing with the Fox family and the serious illness of Fox’s daughter Louisa Mary.
2
Louisa Mary Fox, born 28 December 1850, died 29 July 1853. (The editors thank Anthony W. D. Larkum for supplying them with a copy of Louisa Mary Fox’s death certificate, and for pointing out that the date of her death given in Darwin pedigree is incorrect.)

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.2 hardly] altered from ‘hardy’
1.3 that] over ‘a’
2.2 has] over ‘was’
2.2 than] ‘n’ over ‘t’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-1526,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-1526