My dear old Willy

I have not for a very long time been more pleased than I was this morning at receiving your letter with the excellent news at your having got so good a place.¹ We are both rejoiced at it, & give you our hearty congratulations. It is in every respect a very good thing, for you will be amongst an older set of Boys. Your letter was a very good one, & told us all that we liked to hear: it was well expressed & you must have taken some pains to write it. We are so very glad to hear that you are happy & comfortable; long may you keep so my dear Boy.— What a tremendous, awful, stunning, dreadful, terrible, bothering steeple-chase, you have run: I am astonished at your getting in the the 5^th.. When next you write, explain how it came that you, a new Boy, & Erny,² an old Boy, came to run together? What boys run, all those in your house? or in your Form? You must write to M^r Wharton:³ you had better begin with “My dear Sir” Tell him about your examination. End by saying that “I thank you & M^rs. Wharton for all the kindness, you have always done me. Believe me, Your’s truly obliged.”

Next Sunday when you write here, tell us who your master is, & what Books you are in; & give us a History of the last Friday. The more you can write, the better we shall be pleased. All the servants enquire about you; and so they did at Aunt Sarah’s.⁴ I was there the other day & saw the pretty little grey Hens. We are doing nothing particular; one day is like another: I go my morning walk & often think of you, & Georgy⁵ draws every day many Horse-guards; and Lizzie⁶ shivers & makes as many extraordinary grimaces as ever, & Lenny⁷ is as fat as ever. We shall probably come & see you during the first week in April.⁸ Have you seen anything of Cator?⁹ Farewell my dear Willy; may you go on as well as you have begun. All here send their best loves to you.

Your affectionate Father | C. Darwin

Give my Love to Erny

I was saying before Georgy that he did not much like reading, when he said “No, I hate reading, but I like money.”—¹⁰ I suppose he thought this made up for his not liking reading.—