From J. M. Herbert 23 November 1872
Rocklands, | Ross1
23 Nov. 1872
My dear Darwin,
I was just on the point of writing to my Bookseller an order for the Book, when I received your most kind & cheery letter—2 I say “cheery”, notwithstanding what you say about being a Confirmed invalid, for it reminds me so pleasantly of our youthful friendly relations and speaks so contentedly in the suggested Postscript of Mrs. Darwin, that it gave me the greatest pleasure to read it. Very many thanks for the new book, which I doubt not will be as interesting and convincing, as any of the former ones, by which your world-wide reputation has been established.
Mrs. Herbert3 & I have not long since returned from a Continental trip of 5 weeks. We went through Belgium, Holland, & North Germany, & back by the Rhine. We were most delighted with Amsterdam, Dresden, & Nürnberg— The rest from work has given me fresh vigour, for I feel again equal to the work of my laborious Circuit, although I have nearly completed my 26th. year of Judicial life—4 You ask about Whitley—5 he is well & hearty, &, I think, as happy in his domestic life, as a man can be. I heard from him only yesterday, & I have told him that you enquired after him. I am not surprised at what you say of Tom Butler; there was always a certain “fretchedness” in him, which would not be improved by old age, or the pastoral cares of his Nottinghamshire living.6 Until you mentioned it, I had no idea that Erewhon was written by his Son.7 I have little doubt that the Son does consider his Father a very unpleasant old man, for I am told the relations between them are anything but friendly.8
Did your 3d(?) Son tell you of my making his acquaintance in a Railway Carriage? He was on his way from Archdeacon Crawleys’, & the Archdeacon was with him, & having addressed him by name, my attention was roused, & I was at once satisfied from the strong likeness that he was your Son—& so it proved, on my challenging him.9 I shd. be very glad to see him here, when he next pays the Archdeacon a visit— We live only 16 miles apart—10
My wife joins me in kindest regards to Mrs. Darwin & yourself & I am always | yours truly attached | J. M. Herbert
Charles Darwin Esq
P.S. I send you my Photogr. taken last summer, that you may see how old I look. My wife thinks it is the least-vicious looking of two by the same Artist.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Butler, Samuel. 1903. The way of all flesh. London: Grant Richards.
ODNB: Oxford dictionary of national biography: from the earliest times to the year 2000. (Revised edition.) Edited by H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. 60 vols. and index. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004.
OED: The Oxford English dictionary. Being a corrected re-issue with an introduction, supplement and bibliography of a new English dictionary. Edited by James A. H. Murray, et al. 12 vols. and supplement. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1970. A supplement to the Oxford English dictionary. 4 vols. Edited by R. W. Burchfield. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1972–86. The Oxford English dictionary. 2d edition. 20 vols. Prepared by J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1989. Oxford English dictionary additional series. 3 vols. Edited by John Simpson et al. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993–7.
Webb, Gladys Mary. 1930. Gone to earth. London: Jonathan Cape.
Summary
Thanks for copy of Expression.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-8644
- From
- John Maurice Herbert
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Rocklands
- Source of text
- DAR 166: 186
- Physical description
- ALS 8pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 8644,” accessed on
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 20
