To A. R. Wallace   [18 November 1873]1

Dear Wallace

I have just bethought me & it is strange that I had not thought of it before, that my second son2 is quite capable of doing the job about which I have written to you,3 & I am certain that he wd like to do it, especially if I gave him a present. I I gathered an impression from your note to Bates that you did not care much about undertaking the work;4 & perhaps you will care still less when you hear how dull & bothersome a one it is.5 If so I will get my son to undertake it. If on the other hand you wish for it, all that I wrote will of course, hold good. In any case I beg you to excuse me for the trouble which I have thus caused you. If you have written to me before you receive this wd you kindly let me have a post-card—telling me how the case stands.

In Haste yours very sincerely | C. D.

ADraftS

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter, the letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 November 1873, and the letter from A. R. Wallace, [19 November 1873].
3
CD refers to the work needed to produce a second edition of Descent, and his letter to A. R. Wallace, 17 November 1873.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.1 & it is … before] interl
2.2 to you, 2.3] interl
2.3 I I 2.4] first ‘I’ added after del ‘& it has been a strange mistake that’
2.4 an] above del ‘the’
2.4 much] interl
2.5 undertaking the work;] above del ‘the job’; ‘the’ over ‘a’
2.7 of course,] interl
2.7 beg] after del ‘ap’
2.8 the trouble] ‘the’ altered from ‘this’; ‘trouble’ after del ‘extra’
2.8 thus] interl
2.8 If you] after del ‘by’
2.8 to me 2.9] after del ‘before’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9152,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9152