Ɛpsilon

From T. H. Farrer   24 September 1868

Eashing Park

24 Sept/68

My dear Mr Darwin

The printers of the Annals of Natural History have sent me proofs at once; and I am not a little astonished at seeing my own name in print to a paper on such a subject—which after all is a good deal more interesting than “Tonnage” &c1   Many thanks to you for all your kindness.2

It is wonderful how every flower one looks at is explained by & throws light on the fertilizing process. The anthers & hollow stigma & spur of Viola: the tails of anthers in Erica: the difference of times of maturity of stamens & pistil in Mallow Achimenes &c &c—and above all the wonderful Co relation of variety of similar structure in flowers nearly related—e.g. in Kidney Bean: Broad Bean: Pea: & Furze—afford endless entertainment and illustration of what is I hope something more than Entertainment.3 It is pleasant to see what interest this has given to my little girl with whom I sometimes pick flowers to pieces— She says with truth that botany—however interesting is too much dead work— This is living.4

I cannot help sending you from memory what I dare say you know well—a great favorite of mine among Goethes scattered bits of wisdom—which I think would make a capital motto for your book.5

Pray dont answer this— It is only thanks

Sincerely yours | T H Farrer

1
See letter to T. H. Farrer, 24 September [1868] and n. 2. Farrer refers to his employment as secretary of the Board of Trade.
3
Farrer refers to dichogamy in Malva (mallow) and Achimenes, and to similar reproductive structures in several papilionaceous plants, including Phaseolus vulgaris (the kidney bean), and Ulex europaeus (furze).
4
Emma Cecilia Farrer was then thirteen or fourteen.
5
Farrer refers to Variation. Farrer’s transcription of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s poem ‘Parabase’ following his signature, differs slightly from the the original in the first, second, and fifth lines; the poem is one of a collection called ‘Gott und Welt’ from 1827 (see Goethe 1988, p. 495). For a verse translation of the original poem, see Goethe 1983, p. 70. For a translation of Farrer’s version, see n. 6, below.
6
Farrer’s version of Goethe’s poem (see n. 5, above) may be translated as follows: Always thus many years ago the mind was keenly striving to investigate, to find out how nature lives in creating: and it is the single one that reveals itself many ways; the great is small, the small great, each according to its own kind: always changing, holding fast; near and far and far and near, forming and transforming itself— I am here to marvel at it!

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-6391,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-6391