My Dear Darwin.

As another peculiar stamp is waiting for Leonard’s collection, and I have notes &c—to fill it, here goes for an early response to yours of the 6^th inst.¹

About Max Müller. Surely you can’t wonder that the attempt to account for the “first origin of language” or of anything else, should be the “least satisfactory”.²

The use that I fancied could be made of Max Muller’s book,—or rather of history of language—is something more than illustration, but only a little more,—i.e. you may point to analogies of development & diversification of language—of no value at all in evidence in support of your theory, but good & pertinent as rebutting objections, urged against it.³

Bishop Colenso’s book will make a noise in England, indeed. I have only read the notice in the Athenæum⁴

You detest the spirit of the Times quoad U.S.⁵ The Athenæum is just as bad in its little penny-trumpet way, every chance it can get from the very first. Can you be much surprised that we return dislike with interest. But we are pleased to find there sensible & fair writers,—such as Cairnes & Mill.⁶

No, dear Darwin, we don’t scorn your joining in the prayer that we daily offer that “God would help our poor country”, and I know and appreciate your honest & right feeling.

I see also, from the English papers I read how you must picture us as in the extreme of turmoil and confusion and chaos.— But if you were here, you would open your eyes to see everything going on quietly, hopefully, and comfortably as possible. I suppose we do not appreciate our miseries. We accept our misfortunes and adversities, but mean to retrieve them,—and would sink all that we have before giving up. We work hard, & persevere, and expect to come out all right,—to lay the foundations of a better future, no matter if they be laid in suffering. That will not hurt us now, and may bring great good hereafter.

I never saw, and have scarcely heard of Miss Cooper’s book you ask after.⁷ She is the daughter of late J. Fenimore Cooper, the novelist.⁸ The village she describes must be Cooperstown—in the county adjacent to that in which I was brought up,—a region, which every time I visit it, I say it is the the fairest of lands, and the people the happiest.⁹

Oh—as to the weeds,—Mrs. Gray says she allows that our weeds give up to yours. Ours are modest, woodland, retiring things, and no match for the intrusive, pretentious, self-asserting foreigners.¹⁰ But I send you seeds of one native weed which corrupted by bad company—is as nasty and troublesome as any I know, viz. Sycios angulatus,—also of a more genteel Cucurbitacea, Echinocystis lobata (the larger seeds). Upon these, especially upon the first, I made my observations of tendrils coiling to the touch.¹¹ Put the seeds directly into the ground; they will come up in spring, in moist garden soil. My observations were made on a warm sunny day. I doubt if you have warmth and sunshine enough in England to get up a sensible movement.

My note about them is in Proceed. Amer. Acad. 4, p. 98, reprinted in Sill. Jour. March, 1859, p. 277.¹² I must own, that upon casually taking them up since, I never have obtained such very good results, as upon 2 days of Aug. 1858.

Upon gourds affecting each others fruits, I have made no observations at all. I have only referred to that,—as a well-known thing—at least, of common repute here,—and then referred to maize, where the soft sweet-corn, when fertilized by hard yellow-corn, the grain so fertilized takes the character of the fertilizer. My note about it is in Acad. Proceed. vol. IV, I think.—¹³ You have the vols, (which I have not in reach now), & can find it by the Index. It does not amount to much. Nothing on Maize I know of except Bonafous’ folio volume.¹⁴ I am going to get & send you grains of 4 or 5 sorts of maize. About the involucrate form, I wrote in my last.¹⁵

Whenever I post to you a Boston Semi Weekly Advertizer, please to send it on to D^r. Boott.¹⁶

Ever, dear Darwin | Yours cordially | Asa Gray