To J. J. Aubertin   3 March [1871]¹

Dear M^r Aubertin

I congratulate you on your safe return after all your long wanderings in various parts of the world.— Should you ever be inclined to call here, I should be most happy to see you & so would M^rs. Darwin.— The best route is Orpington Station on the S.E. R^y. & the Station is 4 full miles from my house. I am sorry you had before your journey for nothing.²

Poor Miss Butler³ is dead— She fell down stairs & injured the vertebræ in her neck & died a most dreadful & prolonged death. Her sufferings were awful.

She once paid us a visit & the more we saw of her the more we liked her.⁴ You say nothing about your own health, which I hope is at last good— I cannot say much for myself as I am always ailing & with advancing old age cannot stand any excitement or fatigue. I can rarely talk for more than half an hour with anyone, but as long as I keep quiet I can do 2 or 3 or 4 hours of Scientific work almost every day—so I must not complain.— All my large family is fairly well—

Pray believe me | Yours very faithfully. | Ch. Darwin.