My dear Hooker

As Dyer is away I write just to say that the Catasetum & Acropera which were lent me & which were very useful, will be returned from Down on the 20^th, as Acropera has failed to set pods.—² I hear that the Yarkand Pigeon skins have arrived there safely, which you announced to me in the note which you like a good man wrote to me.—³ We return home on the 20^th & leave William almost recovered from his concussion & very happy in his nice new house.—⁴ Early next week we expect & dread Frank’s return from N. Wales, & I expect seeing his old home will make his grief return cruelly.⁵ He has been wise enough to force himself to work on my proof-sheets & his own paper.⁶ In fact he has a craving to work all day long. I hope & expect that he will soon get over the dread which he has had of seeing any new person & in this respect his residence in so quiet a place as Wales has been bad for him. I shall hear some news of you this evening, as George is coming here from Abinger.⁷

I do hope that you & M^rs. Hooker will be able to come to us for a Sunday at Down this autumn. It is a long time since I have seen you, & we want to renew our acquaintance with M^rs. Hooker.⁸ Goodbye my dear old friend | C. Darwin