To J. T. Gulick   28 July [1872]

My dear Sir

I read your article with the greatest possible interest & admiration.—¹ I sh^d. be very glad to see you here & see a few of your specimens; but I labour under a great disadvantage, as I am much out of health, & am utterly unable to talk with anyone for more than a very short time & some days I can hardly see anyone. But if you will take your chance & come here & allow me to leave you as soon as I feel my head failing, I shall be delighted; yet I fear it will not be worth your trouble.

Here is another misfortune, I expect Prof. Donders of Utrecht (whom I could not refuse to see) to come here on Tuesday or Wednesday, & I could not possibly talk to two persons on the same day.—² We lunch daily at 1$\frac{1}{2}$ & dine at 7^o. & we sh^d be very glad to see you at either time; or at about 4 oclock: my head is daily bad from 2$\frac{1}{2}$ to 4 oclock.

I enclose list of Trains: Orpington (on the S.E. R^y.)³ is our nearest station, 4 miles from this house.—

Pray forgive me for writing so much about myself & health; but I could not avoid doing so, without leaving an impression of inhospitality on your mind.— If you think it worth while to come, pray inform me of day & hour, that I may endeavour to keep as fresh as I can.—

Believe me dear Sir| yours very faithfully | Ch. Darwin