To J. D. Hooker   [29 August 1845]¹

My dear Hooker

I shall be extremely anxious to hear how your prospects are getting on, and busy as you will be, I trust you will, if successful let me know pretty soon.— Will you please to tell Sir William, that Lyell in a note to me² says, that “Professor Forbes has just written to say, that he forwarded my letter, a very strong one, to the L^d. Provost of Edinburgh & he, Forbes, says it will not fail to be useful” Lyell adds, that according to M^r. Horner’s account the Provost is a well informed man.—³

It is delightful yet grievous to me to think of your success.— You must have had a multitude of letters to write, so don’t write to me, till you have a little leisure, & then no one will be more anxious to hear of the progress or result of things.

Do not forget sometime, to remind me of the best way to return your books & a copy of my own Journal, which thank all the Stars in Heaven, I have at last finished.—

Ever my dear Hooker | yours | C. Darwin

All our plans have been upset, by my wife, I am sorry to say, having made or rather still making a very ⁠⟨⁠s⁠⟩⁠low recovery:⁴ otherwise we sh^d have been in Staffordshire & I perhaps in Scotland ere this: as it is I hardly know when we can move.—