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From John Lubbock   27 January 1862

11, Mansion House Street, London, E.C.

27 Jan 1862

My dear Mr. Darwin

Many thanks for your kind letter, I am delighted to hear that you are better.1

When children are offered a choice of two good things they always ask for both & I feel inclined to do the same, so I shall let you know which day I shall be at home next week & shall then perhaps hope to see you. We are expecting the Carpenters on Saturday, but have not yet their answer,2 if they do not Come I will write & offer myself for that day as you suggest, knowing that you will not hesitate to tell me if in the mean time it should have become inconvenient.

Willy called in here the other day & seems to like his business which you can easily believe pleased me much.3

I am also very glad that you liked my “Lake habitations” & approve of my Style of writing.4

I often long to be nearer to you as I used so much to enjoy my little visits to Down.5

Hoping you will all keep well I remain | Your aff | John Lubbock

2
The reference is to Louisa and William Benjamin Carpenter. Carpenter, a physiologist and microscopist was, like Lubbock, one of the contributing editors of the Natural History Review.
3
William Erasmus Darwin, CD’s eldest son, was a partner in the Southampton and Hampshire Bank, Southampton. John Lubbock had suggested William for the position and had helped CD to complete the partnership agreement (see Correspondence vol. 9).
4
In his letter to John Lubbock, 23 January [1862], CD praised Lubbock’s article reviewing recent archaeological finds made at the sites of ancient lake-dwellings in Switzerland (Lubbock 1862b).
5
In August 1861, John and Ellen Frances Lubbock moved from the home of John William Lubbock, High Elms, near Down, to their new house, ‘Lamas’, in Chislehurst, Kent (John Lubbock’s diary (British Library, Add. Ms. 62679: 64 r.)).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-3414,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-3414