Frith Hill, Godalming.
Feby. 27th. 1886
Dear Dr. Cook
I am really very sorry that I denied having had "Life & Habit"1 from you, but I really believed I was right & I think I can now explain it. Very shortly afterwards I got a copy from "Nature" for review, and as I evidently did not then return your copy, I must have supposed you had given it me. About a year later I met Mr. Butler at Miss Buckley’s & he kindly offered me copies of all his books I had not got and I received them from [2] his publishers. About three years ago finding I had two copies of "Life & Habit" & thinking one must have been given me by Mr. Butler I gave it to a friend, Mr. Sketchley, who greatly admired it; and I had then totally forgotten that I had had it from you, & had ever spoken to you about it! As I think I only met you once when I had the pleasure of accompanying Miss Buckley to dine with you and I do not think I even had more than one or two letters from you perhaps you can excuse such a lapse [3] of memory after seven years— just the period, bye-the-bye, in which physiologists used to tell us we changed every atom of our bodies, brains & all!
I am afraid I cannot undertake to review your book. It is not in my line, & I now write no reviews except for "Nature" when the books are sent me. I am too, very busy now writing a book of my own, & also making arrangements for a lecture tour in America & perhaps Australia too, to begin next autumn.
The land question is moving [4] indeed, but I am afraid our legislators will bungle it.
With best wishes | Believe me | Yours very faithfully | Alfred R. Wallace [signature]
P.S. If you think you lent me the book & did not intend me to keep it I will get another copy & send you.
A.R.W. [signature]
Status: Draft transcription [Letter (WCP3518.3409)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Please cite as “WCP3518,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3518