My dear Father,

I have read over & weighed very carefully what you say, & agree in the main.² I send a proposed fair copy & if it quite meets your views, send it off; but the Review does’nt appear till 15^th Oct, & was only published on 15^th. July so do not hurry. I still feel the introductory passage about licentiousness quite as offensive as the ‘prostitution’ one:— by the bye, thro’out y^r. note you speak of the licentiousness as the offence, but you clearly mean the latter.— The fact that the word theoretical is introduced, (where it is almost meaningless,) makes to my reading of it, but little difference.³

My present plan you see is to omit this quotation from myself & begin where you propose; thus giving chief prominence to what you consider the chief offence, whilst not omitting what seems to me equally offensive

I explained my reasons for not omitting the allusion to ‘offensive laws’ in my last.—and I fancy I can justify my reading of this Reviewer as the correct one—& therefore my reasons are unchanged.⁴

I have written a few words in red in y^r. Murray letter;⁵ for it looked to me rather too much as if you identified Murray with his Editor⁶—but of course it is a mere suggestion on my part. I suppose you have quite made up y^r. mind that you are justified in splitting with Murray if he does not consent to put the extremest pressure on the Editor. Of course y^r. letter says, “get the letter inserted or either I or the Editor must cease to deal with you”.—

In all human prob. I shall come down by the 3.15 Exp. on Monday B’stoke 5.27—as the Litches will be away. & I shall only stay if I ca’nt see D^r. C on Monday; so I sha’nt telegraph if I ca’nt get away fr. London but shall come by same train on Tuesday.⁷

It is curious what an utter revulsion my attack has made in me. I ca’nt perceive that I’m either full of mucous or bile, have no tendency to sickness & very little flatulence, but my water has become thick after being clear for months & my digestion is bad in an entirely different way & I feel weak beyond anything—utterly languid at least in the afternoons. There’s no knowing however what tomorrow may bring

I’ve been writing a review of the obnoxious article (not of that part of course) wh. I sh^d. like to read to you & wh. I fully expect you’ll tell me to chuck in the fire—& I shall take y^r. advice!

I had begun doing a little math^cs last week but it’s gone from me again now & I ca’nt tackle it again just yet.

I almost fear my Lake visit to the Cookson will have to fall thro’— the last great effort I made viz Holland, was such a fiasco⁸

I do hope my letter nearly meets y^r. views—but I’ll go on changing & paring if you like

Yours affectionately | G H Darwin