WCP631

Letter (WCP631.4361)

[1]

March 241 [1871]2

Down.

Beckenham Bromley.

Kent. S.E.

My dear Wallace

Very many thanks for the new Edit.3 of your Essays4 — Honour & glory to you for giving list of additions — It is grand as showing that our subject flourishes, your book coming to new Edit. so soon. My book5 also sells immensely; the Edit[.] will, I believe, be 6500 copies. — I am tired with writing, for the load of letters which I [2] receive is enough to make a man cry, — yet some few are curious & valuable. I got one today from Doctor6 on hair on backs of young weakly children, which afterwards falls off — Also on Hairy idiots. —

But I am tired to death so Farewell[.]

Thanks for your last letter7. —

There is very striking second [3] article8 on my Book in Pall Mall9. — The articles10 in Spectator11 have also interested me much.

Again farewell | C. Darwin [signature]

1
A later annotation written after "March 24" reads "th Post Mark 1871 53"
2
The year is established by the post mark on the accompanying envelope.
3
A later annotation in the left margin reads "2nd".
4
Wallace, A. R. 1871. Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection. 2nd Ed. London: Macmillan and Co.
5
Darwin, C. 1871. The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. London: John Murray.
6
According to the Darwin Correspondence Project, Darwin is referring to Mason, Philip Brookes (1842-1903). British physician, naturalist and collector. See DCP <https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/DCP-LETT-7615.xml> [accessed 5 January 2021].
7
See WCP4103.4092, ARW to Darwin, 15 March 1871.
8
[Morley, John] 1871. Mr. Darwin on conscience. Pall Mall Gazette, 12 April 1871, pp. 10-11.
9
Pall Mall Gazette, a British daily newspaper first published in 1865. See The British Newspaper Archive. 2021. Pall Mall Gazette. The British Newspaper Archive. <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/pall-mall-gazette> [accessed 6 January 2021].
10
Anon. 1871. Mr. Darwin's Descent of Man (First Notice). The Spectator. 11 March 1871. pp. 288-9. & Anon. 1871. Mr. Darwin's Descent of Man (Second Notice). The Spectator. 18 March 1871. pp. 319-20.
11
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published in 1828. See The Spectator. 2021. About the Spectator. The Spectator. <https://www.spectator.co.uk/about> [accessed 6 January 2021].

Editorial information

Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP631.4361)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Darwin Correspondence Project [2012-11-20] Transcription checked by Catchpole, Caroline [2013-01-15] Transcription checked by Costa, Leslie [2022-07-19]

Envelope (WCP631.649)

Envelope addressed to "A. R. Wallace, Holly House, Barking, E.", with stamp cut out, postdated "BECKENHAM | D | MR24". A pencil note in ARW's hand on front of envelope reads: "March 24 - 1871? | 53 About "Man" &c! | good | & my 2nd Ed. nat. select." [Envelope (WCP631.649)]

Published letter (WCP631.6027)

[1] [p. 262]

Down, Beckenham, Kent, S.E. March 24, 1871.

My dear Wallace,— Very many thanks for the new edition of your Essays. Honour and glory to you for giving list of additions. It is grand as showing that our subject flourishes, your book coming to a new edition so soon. My book also sells immensely; the edition will, I believe, be 6,500 copies. I am tired with writing, for the load of letters which I receive is enough to make a man cry, yet some few are curious [2] and valuable. I got one to-day from a doctor on the hair on backs of young weakly children, which afterwards falls off. Also on hairy idiots. But I am tired to death, so farewell.

Thanks for your last letter.

There is a very striking second article on my book in the Pall Mall. The articles in the Spectator have also interested me much.— Again farewell. | C. DARWIN.

Editorial information

Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP631.6027)]

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

Revision history

Transcribed by Congerton, John [2019-12-17]

Please cite as “WCP631,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 19 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP631