WCP5347

Letter (WCP5347.5893)

[1]

Norfolk House

Shanklin

I[sle]. of Wight

Thursday Aug [5] / 1858.1

My dear Hooker

I sh[oul]d think the note apologetical about the style of the abstract was best as note. I sh[oul]d hardly have thought the cotton illustration worth a note.— But I write now to ask you to send me by return of post the M.S. on big genera,2 that I may make an abstract of a couple of pages in length.— I presume that you have quite done with it; otherwise I would not for anything have it [2] back. If you tie it with string & mark it paper M.S. for printing it will not cost, I sh[oul]d think more than 4d.— I shall wish much to say that you have read this M.S & concur; but you shall before I read it to [the] Soc[iet]y3: hear the sentence.

What you tell me, after speaking with Busk4 about [the] length of [the] abstract is an immense relief to me; it will make the labour far less, not having to shorten so much every single subject; but I will try not [3] to be too diffusive. — I fear it will spoil all interest in my Book, whenever published.—

The abstract will do very well to divide into several parts: thus I have just finished "variation under domestication" in 44 M.S. pages & that would do for one evening: but I sh[oul]d be extremely sorry if all could not be published together. What else you say about my abstract pleases me highly, but frightens me, for I fear I shall never be able to [4] make it good enough.— But how I do run on about my own affairs to you!—

I was astonished to see Sir W[illiam] Hooker’s5 card here 2 or 3 days ago: I was unfortunately out walking. Henslow6, also, has written to me proposing to come to Down on the 9th, but alas I do not return till 13th & my wife7 not till [a] week later; so that I am, also, most sorry to think I shall not see you, for I sh[oul]d not like to leave home so soon; I had thought of going to London & running [5]8 down for an hour or two to Kew.—

I am glad to hear poor Miss Jenyns’9suffering are [sic] over for ever.—

Etty10 has made a little start forward these few last days, which inspirits us.—

Farewell | Ever yours | C. Darwin [signature]11

[6] Could I have clean proof to send to Wallace?12 Did you ask? if not, & you will tell me, I would write to Busk & ask him.

I have just bethought me, that simplest plan w[oul]d be to buy copy of [the] Journal & send it, so that will cost no trouble.—

1
The original date is written as 'Aug. 4/1858' but the Darwin Correspondence Project has established the date for this letter as 5 August 1858. See DCP-LETT-2313.
2
Darwin refers to his manuscript on large and small genera (DAR 15.1 (ser. 2).
3
Darwin intend to present his 'abstract' to the Linnean Society and publish it in the Linnean Society journal. Ultimately the manuscript material was incorporated into On the Origin of Species (1859). See DCP-LETT-2313.
4
Busk, George (1807-1886). British naval surgeon, zoologist and paleontologist.
5
Hooker, William Jackson (1785-1865). British botanist; first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1841-1865.
6
Henslow, John Stevens (1796-1861). Anglican clergyman; Cambridge University professor of Botany and Mineralogy; teacher of Charles Darwin.
7
Darwin (née Wedgwood), Emma (1808-1896). Wife and first cousin of Charles Robert Darwin.
8
Darwin adds a circled cross in the lower right hand margin of page 5 next to the text 'inspirits us'.
9
Jenyns (née Heberden), Mary (1790-1858). Aunt of Francis Harriet Hooker.
10
Litchfield (née Darwin), Henrietta Emma ("Etty") (1843-1927). Daughter of Charles Robert Darwin and his wife Emma.
11
Darwin adds 'Over' to the bottom left-hand corner of page 5.
12
Darwin refers to the proofs for his joint essay with ARW, 'On the Tendency of Species to Form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection' (1858). In a subsequent letter to Hooker on 12 October 1858, Darwin wrote "I have sent 8 copies by post to Wallace, & will keep the other for him, for I could not think of anyone to send any to." (See WCP5355.5880). On 25 January 1859, Darwin sent ARW a copy of the Linnean Society Journal containing the published essay and 'some ½ dozen copies of the paper'. (See WCP1841.1731).

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP5347.5893)]

For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon

Revision history

Transcribed by O'Dell, Sandra [2018-08-15] Transcription checked by Beros, Matt [2019-12-20]

Please cite as “WCP5347,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP5347