To G. H. Darwin 17 [August 1878]1
Barlaston
17th
My dear G.—
I send a note which you can forward to Mr Paul. & so save you all trouble: Also what he wants & which I hope will do, for I do not know what else I can do.—2 I cannot tell you how I & your mother rejoice that your mathematical troubles are come to an end.3 It sounds like a miracle that you shd. unconsciously followed the right course in so awfully complex an affair. I shd. as soon have expected that a man shd have composed a sonata by a fluke—
Please send another card or note with your address, for I gave that received this morning to your mother, & it disappeared for ever like a flash of lightning!!!4
I am tired so no more.— I wonder whether I could solve a mathematical problem unconsciously.—
Yours | C. D.
Footnotes
Summary
He and Emma rejoice that GHD’s mathematical troubles are at an end. It is miraculous that he unconsciously followed the right course – like composing a sonata by a fluke.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-11663
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- George Howard Darwin
- Sent from
- Barlaston
- Source of text
- DAR 210.1: 73
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11663,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11663.xml