Ɛpsilon

To Leonard Darwin   11 July [1872]1

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July 11th.

My dear Leonard,

[…]

Please remember that I do not want more alterations than necessary. I believe everyone (I know that I do) falls into the error that any alteration seems at first an improvement   Many times have I altered a sentence, and then gone back to the old form. Please make any corrections in pencil, or, if it be long in ink (if you like) on slips pinned to sheet   But I hope that you will not find much to alter, as I took much pains over this chapter   I am very much obliged to you for looking it over.

Yours affectn. | C. Darwin

Copy incomplete

1
The year is established from handwritten notes on the copy suggesting that this letter was written when Leonard was reading proof-sheets of Expression, which was published in November 1872 (Freeman 1977). See also this volume, Supplement, letter to Leonard Darwin, 26 July [1872]; the two letters were copied on the same sheet. Henrietta Emma Litchfield also read the proof-sheets of Expression (see Correspondence vol. 20, letter to H. E. Litchfield, 25 July 1872).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-8404,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-8404