Ɛpsilon

To W. D. Fox   10 August [1853]

Down Bromley Kent

Augt. 10th

My dear Fox

I thank you sincerely for writing to me so soon, after your most heavy misfortunes.1 Your letter affected me much. We both most truly sympathise with you & Mrs. Fox. We too lost, as you may remember, not so very long ago, a most dear child, of whom, I can hardly yet bear to think tranquilly;2 yet, as you must know from your own most painful experience,3 time softens & deadens, in a manner truly wonderful, one’s feelings & regrets. At first it is indeed bitter. I can only hope that your health & that of poor Mrs Fox may be preserved; & that time may do its work softly, & bring you all together, once again as the happy family, which, as I can well believe, you so lately formed.

My dear Fox | Your affectionate friend | Charles Darwin

1
The death of Louisa Mary Fox on 29 July 1853 (see letter to W. D. Fox, 29 [July 1853]).
2
Anne Elizabeth Darwin had died on 23 April 1851.
3
Fox had previously suffered the death of his first wife on 19 March 1842 (see Correspondence vol. 2, letters to W. D. Fox, 23 March [1842], [31 March 1842], and [25 March 1843]).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.8 softly] altered from ‘sofly’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-1527,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-1527