WCP5299

[1]

Down Bromley Kent

July 5^th 1858

My dear Hooker,

We are become more happy & less panic-struck, now that we have sent out of House every child & shall remove Etty¹, as soon as she can move. The first nurse became ill with ulcerated throat & quincy & the second is now ill with the Scarlet Fever, but thank God recovering. You may imagine how frightened we have been. It has been a most miserable fortnight. —

Thank you much for your note, [2] telling me that all had gone on prosperously at [the] Linn[ean]. Soc[iet]^y.— You must let me once again tell you how deeply I feel your generous kindness & Lyell’s² on this kindness ^occasion. But in truth it shames me that you should have lost time on a mere point of priority. I shall be curious to see proofs. I do not in the least understand whether my letter to A[sa]. Gray³ is to be [3] printed; I suppose not, only your note; but I am quite indifferent, & place myself absolutely in your & Lyell[’]s hands.

I can easily prepare an abstract of my whole work, but I can hardly see how it can be made scientific for a Journal, without giving facts, which would be impossible. Indeed a mere abstract cannot be very short. — Could you give me any idea how many pages of Journal, could [4] probably be spared me? Directly after my return home, I would begin & cut my cloth to my measure. — If the Referees were to reject it as not strictly scientific I would, perhaps publish it as [a] pamphet.—

With respect to my big interleaved abstract, would you send it anytime before you leave England, to enclosed address.⁴ If you do not go till August 7^th -10^th I sh[oul]^d. prefer it left with you. I hope you have jotted criticisms on my M.S. on big Genera &c [5] sufficient to make you remember your remarks, as I sh[ould]^d. be infinitely sorry to lose them. And I see no chance of our meeting if you go soon abroad. We thank you heartily for your invitation to join you; I can fancy nothing which I sh[oul]^d. enjoy more; but our children are too delicate for us to leave; & I sh[oul]^d. be mere living lumber.—

Lastly you said you would write to Wallace; I certainly [6] sh[oul]^d. much like this, as it would quite exonerate me: if you would send me your note, sealed up, I would forward it with my own, as I know address &c. —

Will you answer me sometime about your notions of [the] length of my abstract.—

If you see Lyell will you tell him how truly grateful I feel for his kind interest in this affair of mine. You must know that I look at it, as very important, for the reception of the view of species not being immutable, the fact of the greatest [one word illeg. struck through] geologist & Botanist in England, taking any sort of interest in [the] subject: I am sure it will do much to break down prejudices.—

Yours affection[ate]ly | C. Darwin [signature]

Kindest remembrance to M^rs Hooker.⁵