Ɛpsilon

To T. F. Burgers   [after 13 May 1875]1

Dear Sir

I shd. have great pleasure in seeing you, but I have been so unwell lately, that it is possible for me to see anyone until in about a weeks time, when I hope to be nearly well.—2 I would suggest, that your best plan wd be to come here by the Train. which leaves X at 10o.35′ stopping at Orpington St3 & you wd arrive at Down at about 12 oclock & we cd lunch at 1o & you cd return by the Train which leaves Orpington due 122. If in a weeks time shd still feel inclined to take so much trouble to see me, will you be so good as to inform me the day before, so that I may write or telegraph if too unwell—

ADraft

1
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from T. F. Burgers, 13 May 1875.
2
Burgers had asked whether he might visit CD (see letter from T. F. Burgers, 13 May 1875); there is no record of a visit in Emma Darwin’s diary (DAR 242), but CD mentioned receiving an ostrich feather from Burgers in his letter to W. C. Marshall of 29 May 1875.
3
The Orpington train departed from Charing Cross, which CD abbreviated to X.

Manuscript Alterations and Comments

1.2 for … anyone] interl
1.2 in] interl
1.3 I] below del interl ‘as I am not able to converse long with anyone’
1.3 that] interl after del ‘that should you think the journey not too long wd’
1.3 wd be] interl
1.3 come here] above del ‘leave Ch X’; ‘here’ after del ‘wd be’
1.4 10o.35′] interl
1.4 stopping …St] interl
1.4 Down] after del ‘the’
1.6 due 122.] above ‘at — —’ and after del ‘2 [illeg]’

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-9979,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-9979