To G. H. Darwin   [29 May 1874]1

My dear George.

I forwarded this morning some proofs of Descent.—2 I am extremely sorry to hear so bad an account of yourself & that you must starve so much.—3 I write now to urge you, if you find the proofs too hard work to give them up, & I & your mother will manage them.

Thanks about Spalding: I wish that you had been here to see him: he is one of the most interesting men I have seen for a very long time: he is half-dead with diseased lungs.4

When you are at work on Exam. papers & cannot correct proofs, send card to Messrs. Clowes, Stamford St. Blackfriars to tell them there will be a week’s delay.—5 I will forward next packet of proofs. (i.e. if you do not give up job) without opening them; but if they shd. contain Revise of 1st or 2d sheet, forward them to me, for they are for German Translation.—6 I do hope we may have better account of you before long

Yours affecty. | C. Darwin

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter, the letter to G. H. Darwin, 27 May [1874], and the letter from G. H. Darwin, 30 May 1874.
2
CD was preparing the second edition of Descent.
3
The letter from George has not been found.
5
William Clowes & Sons were the printers used by CD’s publisher, John Murray. George was examiner in ‘Mathematics and Classics’ for Trinity College, Cambridge; the examinations took place between 8 and 13 June 1874 (Trinity College Archive, Head Lecturer’s Book 1801–1900).
6
Julius Victor Carus was preparing a German translation of Descent 2d ed. (see letter to J. V. Carus, 23 May [1874]).

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

2.2 a] after del ‘some’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9474,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9474