WCP5324

[1]¹

Sept. 23^d2 [1864]³

Down Bromley Kent

My dear Hooker

There never was such a man as you. I did not in the least expect to hear about the Brit[ish]. Assoc[iation]⁴., & so many things you have told me that I liked to hear. What splendid news about Scott⁵, i.e. if he gets it; I do not know when I have been so much pleased & I am delighted that I paid his passage & I fully believe that he will justify all your extraordinary kindness⁶: you have just made the fortune of an able & I am convinced worthy man. I shall be disappointed if hereafter he does not do some good work in science. [2] Please remember & let me hear how I must propose him as Assoc[iate]. for Linn[ean]. Soc[iety].⁷ — To hear how pleasant Bath was makes me a little envious; but I must try & be contented, for I begin pretty plainly to see that the best I can hope for is not to be worse. — I thank you sincerely for your previous letter: your openness towards me gratifies me deeply, & you must know that you have my entire sympathy⁸. I never remember dates for good or evil, & I do believe I have thus escaped many a bitter day. — Do not be in a [3] hurry about the operation; for I distinctly remember some ^very good authority being against it on several occasions. — How many anxieties & sorrows there are, great & small, as life advances, & nothing to be done but bear them as well as one can, & that I cannot do at all well. —

I enclose a note⁹ for Ray Soc[iety]¹⁰. which I hope will do. — I am prodigal of suggestions, & it has occurred to me that a Royal Medal¹¹ might before long be well bestowed on Wallace. —

I am glad to hear that the Lyells¹² are so well pleased; I think I quite agree to what [4] you say about his Address¹³. I regretted most the confined view which he took on change of temperature during Glacial period, with not ^the slightest allusion to New Zealand or S. America; & he knows well that all our continents are old as continents. I can never believe that change of land & water will suffice. —

I sent on A. Gray's¹⁴ note about orchids direct to Masters¹⁵, as I had a few monstrous plants which I thought he would like to see: he was very glad of ^{to get} Asa Gray's note. —

[5] I hardly know what to think about Bentham's¹⁶ address¹⁷. A man sometimes uses such expressions as "life without renewal or break" in some non-natural sense. I sh[oul]^d be pleased if he were to give up successive creations. How many have gone thus far within the few last years! —

Remember to give me name of the climbing Nepenthes. —

I have begun looking over my old M.S.¹⁸ & it is as fresh as if I had never written it: parts are astonishingly dull, but yet worth printing I think; & other parts strike me as very good. [6] I am a complete millionaire in odd & curious little facts & I have been really astounded at my own industry whilst reading my chapters on Inheritance & Selection. God knows when the Book will ever be completed, for I find that I am very weak & on my best days cannot do more than 1 or 1½ hours work. It is a good deal harder than writing about my dear climbing plants¹⁹. Good Bye my dear old fellow & with thanks for your two charming letters, farewell; but do not write soon again

Ever yours | C. Darwin [signature]

[7] Do you object to my putting this sentence from old note from you.?²⁰

____________________

"Anⁿual plants sometimes become perennial under a different climate, as I hear from D^r Hooker in the case with the stock & mignonette in Tasmania".

(say yes or no)

I know the case is nothing wonderful, & I want only just thus to allude to it —