From G. H. Darwin   20 April 1874

Trin Coll

Monday | Ap. 20. 74

Dear Father,

I have done the book & send you another Sheet of small observations. I shall not want the sheet I send, back again as there will be nothing to alter in the Index in it—1

I hope you wo’nt think me bumptious if I say to you that I think it a splendid book & deserving of every inch of its reputation. Your power of marshalling facts under one point of view & the number of facts utterly staggers me; but I’m more struck than anything by the conciseness & clearness of your thought— the one fault I think is some slight want of conciseness of diction. As I cd’nt do a millionth part as much myself—I fear this seems hypercritical & conceited   I feel your power the more that I quail before the thought of arranging the few paltry facts I’ve got about those d–d cousins.2

Ithel Ruck is a funny man; he accepted my invit. to lunch very cordially for him but Mrs. R. turned up without him on Sunday & without any apology on his part.3 He actually has never been inside Trinity & never to the Backs4 (wh. are now lovely) until Mrs. R took him there. I certainly shan’t trouble him again now— after reading Maudsley I think he must be a little touched.5

I’m passable today again & hav’nt had much sickness for 2 or 3 days

I hope London will be successful—6 I come on Friday

Yrs affly | G H Darwin

1
George was correcting the proofs for Descent 2d ed.
2
George had been compiling statistics on the possible ill effects of first-cousin marriage (see letter from G. H. Darwin, 18 April 1874 and n. 7).
3
George refers to Laurence Ithel Ruck and his mother, Mary Anne Ruck. See letter from G. H. Darwin, 18 April 1874 and n. 6.
4
The ‘Backs’ are the grounds along the river Cam at the rear of several Cambridge colleges, including Trinity.
5
CD had corresponded with Henry Maudsley, the author of works on mental pathology (see Correspondence vol. 17).
6
The Darwins were in London from 21 to 29 April (Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242)).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9421,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9421