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Darwin Correspondence Project

To W. D. Whitney   1 September 1875

Basset | Southampton

Sept. 1. 75

My dear Sir,

You will see by the above address that we are all away from home, & we shall not return there until the 11th., so that to my very great regret I shall not be able to see you, a pleasure to which I have looked forward. My son who is here & is writing this for me joins me in wishing you a prosperous voyage home.1

Believe me | Yours very sincerely | Charles Darwin

Footnotes

The Darwins stayed with their son William Erasmus Darwin in Southampton from 28 August to 11 September 1875 (CD’s ‘Journal’ (Appendix II)). No letter from Whitney, who was from the United States, about a visit to Down in September 1875 has been found. Whitney had been invited to Down in May but was unable to come then or later (see letter to W. D. Whitney, [8 May 1875], letter from Emma Darwin to W. D. Whitney, 9 May [1875], and letter from G. H. Darwin to W. D. Whitney, 21 December 1875. The handwriting of the letter is probably George Howard Darwin’s.

Summary

Regrets he will not return home in time to see WDW.

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10144,” accessed on 19 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10144.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 23

letter