From Francis Darwin [before 22 April 1871?]1
University “Pitt” Club
Dear Father
I send you Jackson’s letter—2 it seems to me to be what you want. I thought that shrugging meant only a raising & sudden dropping of the shoulders, & so thought it wouldn’t be much good3
About prayer he told me that he had been talking to old King about it, & he said that this (1) is one attitude of prayer—4
he also said that this (2) is the attitude of adoration
Husckke’s attitude of astonishment seems to be natural to some people, Jackson asked a man how he should express astonishmen⟨t⟩ with his hands & he did it exactly5
CD annotations
1.1 I send … good 1.3] crossed pencil
2.1 About prayer] after opening square bracket pencil
Top of letter: ‘Hand in Prayer’ blue crayon; ‘& Astonishment’ pencil
The date is conjectured from the relationship between this letter and the letter to Francis Darwin, 22 April [1871?].
The letter from Henry Jackson has not been found, but see the letter to Francis Darwin, 22 April [1871?].
CD was interested in shrugging as an indication of helplessness (see Queries about expression, Appendix VII).
Francis refers to the antiquarian Charles William King. CD discussed the attitude of prayer in Expression, p. 221; he said the Romans did not join their hands.
In Expression, p. 287, CD referred to Emil Huschke and Huschke 1821, p. 18, in his discussion of ways of expressing astonishment.
Please cite as “DCP-LETT-7420,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on