To Heinrich Debus   Monday¹

Monday.

My dear Heinrich.

Es thut mir Leid nicht gegenwartig zu sein als Du Deinen Vortrag hieltest.² But as you say I needed Erfreschung³—and found it among the mountains. We had fine weather in Cumberland⁴—fine I say though we were sometimes in heavy snow. Sometimes in thick fog. but sometimes also in unclouded sunshine—the atmospheric changes were wonderful, and we climbed all the highest peaks.

I am now working hard at my book,⁵ and hope to make it a respectable one: I do not want it to pass away in a year, and hence while I try to write in a pleasant style and in a way which shall interest the general reader my aim also is to concentrate in it a solid body of Scientific truth.

Your estimate of Carlyle I think is a very correct one, and I am half tempted to send your letter⁶ to M^rs Carlyle, without letting her know any thing about its origin. I have looked over the first volume⁷ only and not the whole of that—but I shall read all someday.

I was sorry to hear of your cold and glad to hear of your industry. I have left south Audley Street & now live in a more open place near St. John’s Wood.⁸ I hope I may be able to pay you a visit during the spring or summer. Believe me it will give me pleasure to do so; but my book is now my first care.

This is a glorious day and it makes me long for the country—what a weight our civilization and social experiments lay upon our shoulders—and how I sometimes long to rid myself of the load, and to return to the free joyous life which I lived when a boy. Still it is only when the mind is weary that one feels them—Assuming the heart is strong enough to cope with, and were to enjoy the passages of civilization—

Goodbye Heinrich | Ever yours. J Tyndall

RI MS JT/1/T/327