WCP1628

[1]¹

417 High Road

Chiswick W.

Oct 30^th 1903

Alfred R. Wallace Esq. D. C. L. F. R. S.

Dear Sir

In reply to your letter to my father² received on Wednesday, it is with the deepest sorrow and regret I write to inform you of his death. After a severe illness of about three weeks he died on the 6^th of the present month. Would that he could have been spared to have read your letter. It would have [2] afforded him so much pleasure.

Lately he had ^often spoken about you a great deal, and he was especially ^greatly interested in your recent contributions to the Fortnightly Review on the subject of "Man's Place in the Universe".³ Now his interest in everything has ceased — I hope not for ever. Only this morning I came across some ^rough notes of his early life ^{of which} and ^{written by himself} The following extract ^from which your name is mentioned my interest you. "It was in the early spring on 1848 from which I venture to send you the following extract as your name is mentioned. [MS ends here]