From John Brodie Innes 16 January 1868
Milton Brodie | Forres | N.B.
16th. Jany 1868—
Dear Darwin,
I left you treasurer of the School, and hope you are still in office. I enclose cheque for my subscription for this year.1
I hope Miss Darwin has carried out her laudable intention of giving some assistance in the Downe School.2 A lady’s presence is valuable in many ways. They teach so nicely are so patient and their very presence has such a civilizing effect on savage boys. Mrs. Innes3 poor lady did what she could while at Downe and possibly I was enough of an old woman to approximate to the other sex by natural selection
I hope Miss Etty may more than supply the lady’s place without any variation from her own place in creation.
If you want mild weather you should come here instead of going to cold southern regions. We have had no snow, and the young folk are crying out there is no skating. I had a lot over here on Saturday last to disport themselves on a shallow piece of water, as no deep waters would bear. It rained before they left and we have had quite mild weather and occasional rain since
Mrs. Innes joins me in kindest regards to you and Mrs. Darwin and your family
Believe me Dear Darwin | Yours faithfully | J Brodie Innes.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Moore, James Richard. 1985. Darwin of Down: the evolutionist as squarson-naturalist. In The Darwinian heritage, edited by David Kohn. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press in association with Nova Pacifica (Wellington, NZ).
Post Office directory of the six home counties: Post Office directory of the six home counties, viz., Essex, Herts, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex. London: W. Kelly & Co. 1845–78.
Summary
Sends school subscription to CD as treasurer. Hopes Henrietta will assist in teaching there.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-5791
- From
- John Brodie Innes
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Milton Brodie
- Source of text
- DAR 167: 14
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 5791,” accessed on 23 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-5791.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 16