Ɛpsilon

To W. D. Fox   29 October [1872]

Down, | Beckenham, Kent.

Oct. 29th

My dear Fox

Your old Lady might just as well have said we were gone visiting to the moon.1 We have, however, been away from home & returned only on Saturday from a villa which we took for 3 weeks at Sevenoaks, close to the magnificent Knole Park; as I had been working at the microscope & my head had failed.2 Three weeks of extreme dullness have done me some good; but my strength fails more & more, & I find I require a rest every 6 weeks or so.— I really have no news to tell about myself, except that I finished some two months ago a small book on Expression, & which will be published at Murray’s sale early in November. I shall soon receive copies & will send you one.3 Whether you or anyone will care much about it, I know not.— How I wish I could accept your invitation & pay you a visit at Sandown;4 but I have long found it impossible to visit anywhere; the novelty & excitement would annihilate me.—

I am heartily glad to hear that you are better. You mentioned when you wrote last, that before leaving the Isle of Wight you had been bad.—5 I cannot give much of an account of my children. Three of my sons are ailing more or less, & have inherited my poor constitution.6 It is a fearful misfortune

Farewell | My dear old Friend | Ch. Darwin

Postmark: OC 29 72

2
See letter to J. D. Hooker, 4 October [1872] and n. 5. Knole Park, in Sevenoaks, is a deer-park that dates from the fifteenth century.
3
Expression was published by John Murray in November 1872 (Freeman 1977; on the sale dinner, see the letter to R. F. Cooke, 27 October [1872] and n. 6). Fox’s name is on CD’s presentation list (see Correspondence vol. 20, Appendix V).
6
CD may refer to William Erasmus Darwin, George Howard Darwin, and Horace Darwin. George had been to a German spa in the summer, probably with Horace (see letter to W. D. Fox, 16 July [1872] and n. 3). William’s ill health is mentioned in a letter from Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin, [22 August 1873] (DAR 239.23: 1.13).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.3 for 3 weeks] interl
2.2 of an] ‘of’ interl

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-8585,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-8585