Faraday to William Buchanan   4 February 1854

Royal Institution | 4 Feby 1854

Dear friend & brother

We long to see your face and all friends here earnestly desire to see you:- conversation never brings up your name without that desire being manifest:- and it is now a great while since you were here¹. Mr Boosey and myself were talking of it the other day and I found our thoughts jumped together. He is restrained in some degree by a circumstance which I dare say you are aware of namely the probability of a marriage in his house this summer² but we have no such thing before us. So come and see us. We should feel honored to have you on a visit to our place. We will make you as much at home in the Old place as we can and you know its conditions & inconveniences and you shall do exactly as you please:- and I hope by the time you are likely to come that my dear wife will be stronger and as able as she will be happy to attend to you. I write this early in the year that you may have time to review the probabilities and perhaps give us some little notion when the visit may come off:- You see we trust so freely in your love & willingness as to think it will come off:- but at whatever time so that we have an idea when: it will be pleasure to us and to all here[.]

Give our love to Mrs. William³ and say we look to her as an advocate in our cause. I trust her health will be so far amended this year as to be able to spare you. Our love to Mr. Dixon⁴ + & Mr. Leighton. I hope and believe that all our friends with you will think our minds are often on them - but though I fear to go on mentioning names I cannot omit Mrs. Anderson⁵ & her daughters[.]

Ever My dear friend & brother | Your affectionate | M. Faraday

Wm. Buchanan Esq | &c &c &c

+ Mr Waterstone⁶ of whom my wife has just reminded me[.]