My dear Charles

We have at length got a Frank to send you Fanny’s note.¹ She is going on vy well herself— We are longing to have an account of Lyells speech.² my Father’s desires his love & begs for a letter soon from you that we may hear any thing you can repeat or remember that he said about you— my Father is extremely pleased by M^r Lyells friendship for you. he thinks it invaluable as a happiness & assistance—and most flattering as a proof of your information & the value of it— I quite envy Eras being able to hear Lyells speech for I suppose men are admitted to hear by Hensleigh having been present when you read your paper— I can quite understand that it will be a vy mixed feeling leaving Cambridge & the vy agreeable conversations at the dinners you have been to lately.

Thank you exceedingly for both your last letters, it is really such a vy great pleasure to us to know what you are doing that it is quite worth your while writing home from the pleasure it gives— My Father is very well & we have had a visit from Miss Wingfield³ which he liked vy much.— we pass such vy quiet lives, one day so like another that it is difficult to write— I copied your message to Uncle Jos in a letter to Elizabeth but I am afraid Uncle Jos was gone to London on Canal affairs⁴ before my letter could have got to Maer— What a vy pleasant 3 days we had together at Maer— I would not have missed meeting you there on any account & I hope some time to have such another “three glorious days” Emma is still at Edinburgh going out almost evy night to Balls & Concerts. Lady Gifford seems to have a vy large as well as vy gay set of acquaintances & they take vy kindly to Emma & shew her great civility which is more than Londoners would do to their friends friends. My Father wants to know when next you write if you receivd your money all right in London & whether you had no difficulties— How did Eras look? we heard in a round about way that he was a good deal pulled down by the Infuenza—

Be sure you keep & shew me Lyells complimentary letter asking you to go to London Can you (if a few words will do) tell me on what points it is that Lyell “fully agrees with your views” ‘on subjects you say you talked over together in London’. The Coral islands I know was one subject—but if I can understand & if you can with out much trouble give me an idea of the other subjects I should be vy glad.— I thought that Lyell & all the modern Geologists disbelieved, or thought we did not understand rightly, the chronology of the Old Testament—so I do not see how what Sir J Herschell⁵ says is new.— I should have liked extremely to have seen the letter.— Do you know whether yours & Cap^t Fitzroys paper on The Missionaries⁶ has ever been sent to England, & what is it called in order to get it?

ever my dear Charles y^rs aff^ly Caroline Darwin

Susan’s love & she will write before long & I hope not so dull a letter as this—