Ɛpsilon

To J. D. Hooker   26 [March 1861]

Down Bromley Kent

26th

My dear Hooker

I must just write to thank you sincerely for your letter, & to say how rejoiced I am that it seems clear from your account that poor dear Henslow’s sufferings are nearly over, whether or no his struggle is much prolonged.—1 I would not have missed coming for anything if he had wished to see me, but in fact I am not equal to such an exertion. It is strange how immediately any mental excitement upsets & utterly prostrate; seeing George chloroformed for his teeth brought on my eternal sickness for 24 hours.—2 Etty certainly improves & we have faith in your Oil:3 next Monday will be 14 weeks since last regular attack. She gains a little in flesh, but sadly little in strength.— We have almost made up our minds to go by three stages to Torquay on 1st of June.—4

What a strange account you give of the chaos of articles in Henslow’s House.— Give our kindest remembrances to Mrs. Hooker.— I am glad you work a little;— that alone drives cares away for a time. I shall be most anxious to read your Arctic Paper.—5

Farewell | C. Darwin

Endorsement: ‘March 1861.’

1
Hooker’s letter has not been found. He and his wife, Frances Harriet Hooker, the eldest daughter of John Stevens Henslow, were at Henslow’s home in Hitcham, Suffolk. While on a visit to the south of England, Henslow caught a cold that rapidly developed into bronchitis, aggravating a former ailment of his heart and lungs (Gardeners’ Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 15 June 1861, p. 552).
4
The Darwins did not go to Torquay until July (see ‘Journal’; Appendix II).
5
Hooker 1861.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.10 on] altered from ‘in’
2.3 away] after del ‘for’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-3101,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-3101