From Francis Darwin [before 22 April 1871?]1
University “Pitt” Club
Dear Father
I send you Jackson’s letter—2 it seems to me to be what you want. I thought that shrugging meant only a raising & sudden dropping of the shoulders, & so thought it wouldn’t be much good3
About prayer he told me that he had been talking to old King about it, & he said that this (1) is one attitude of prayer—4
[DIAG]
he also said that this (2) is the attitude of adoration
[DIAG]
Husckke’s attitude of astonishment seems to be natural to some people, Jackson asked a man how he should express astonishmen〈t〉 with his hands & he did it exactly5
CD annotations
1.1 I send … good 1.3] crossed pencil
2.1 About prayer] after opening square bracket pencil
Top of letter: ‘Hand in Prayer’ blue crayon; ‘& Astonishment’ pencil
Footnotes
1
The date is conjectured from the relationship between this letter and the letter to Francis Darwin, 22 April [1871?].
2
The letter from Henry Jackson has not been found, but see the letter to Francis Darwin, 22 April [1871?].
3
CD was interested in shrugging as an indication of helplessness (see Queries about expression, Appendix VII).
4
Francis refers to the antiquarian Charles William King. CD discussed the attitude of prayer in Expression, p. 221; he said the Romans did not join their hands.
5
In Expression, p. 287, CD referred to Emil Huschke and Huschke 1821, p. 18, in his discussion of ways of expressing astonishment.
Summary
Expressions in attitudes of prayer and adoration.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-7420
- From
- Darwin, Francis
- To
- Darwin, C. R.
- Sent from
- University Pitt Club
- Source of text
- DAR 162: 55
- Physical description
- ?
Subjects
Scientific Terms
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 7420,” accessed on 25 September 2016, http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-7420
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