Faraday to Constance Deacon   19 May 1852

Royal Institution | 19 May 1852

My dear Constance

First a kiss-s-s-s-ss. Next thank you for Your good letter - very well written and very pleasant - and now thanks for the letter you are going to write to me in which you must tell me how Papa¹ & Mamma² do - and what you are about. I went this morning to see a fish like a great eel take his breakfast. This morning he had three frogs for breakfast - yesterday he eat [sic] 9 fish in the course of the day each as large as a sprat and the day before 14. When the fish are put into the water he electrifies and kills them & then swallows them up - and if a man happens to have his hands in the water at the same time the fish that is the eel, electrifies the man too. The eel is now above 12 years old and is heavier I think than you are[.]

Yesterday I saw the Royal children the Prince of Wales³ & the duke of York⁴. Such nice children they would make famous playmates for you but I do not know whether Princes do play much[.] I do not think they can be so happy in their play as you are⁵[.]

As to the magnet when you & I meet we will have a long talk about it and make some experiments.

and so with my love to Papa & Mamma and curious Constance with a kiss for each I am

Your loving old Uncle | M. Faraday