Ɛpsilon

To H. E. Litchfield   27 [March 1874]1

27.

My dearest Etty,

I feel quite guilty when I think of the labour which I cost you— Your criticisms are excellent & prove how thoroughly you do the work. The whole is atrociously written & I am in despair.2 The Printers think Revises necessary & Mamma will do them   Ellen Tollet looked over the first sheet & declares that it is perfectly clear—3 You ought to have the maps & I will today write to Hooker to ask him to lend you his copy.—4

I send today         5 when we meet I should much like to hear all you think— There is such an eulogium of me, that I almost doubt whether I ought to distribute copies; but I think that I shall swallow modesty.6 I have as yet read only a part as my head is very pulpy

Goodbye, | C. D.

P.S. Your scrap just received. I mean to have very complete Headings.— You had better leave them for me. It is good to have the Chapt in

Copy

1
The year and month are established by the reference to the letter to J. D. Hooker, 27 [March 1874].
2
Henrietta was helping to correct the proofs of Coral reefs 2d ed. (see also letter to H. E. Litchfield, 21 [March 1874]).
3
Ellen Harriet Tollet stayed at Down from 24 to 28 March 1874 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)).
5
The original copyist was unable to read CD’s hand and left a blank space in the text. CD probably wrote Abbot (see n. 6, below).
6
CD refers to Francis Ellingwood Abbot’s lecture, ‘Darwin’s theory of conscience’ (Abbot 1874), which was published in the Index (see letter from F. E. Abbot, 3 March 1874). CD’s annotated copy is in DAR 139.12.3. Henrietta and Richard Buckley Litchfield stayed at Down from 2 to 9 April 1874 (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9325,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9325