ch. vin.] 18421854. 171 



My nights are always bad, and that stops my becoming vig- 

 orous. You ask about water-cure. I take at intervals of 

 two or three months, five or six weeks of moderately severe 

 treatment, and always with good effect. Do you come here, 

 I pray and beg whenever you can find time ; you cannot 

 tell how much pleasure it would give me and E. What 

 pleasant times we had in drinking coffee in your rooms at 

 Christ's College, and think of the glories of Crux-major.* 

 Ah, in those days there were no professions for sons, no ill- 

 health to fear for them, no Californian gold, no French in- 

 vasions. How paramount the future is to the present when 

 one is surrounded by children. My dread is hereditary ill- 

 health. Even death is better for them. 



My dear Fox, your sincere friend. 



P.S. Susan f has lately been working in a way which 

 I think truly heroic about the scandalous violation of the 

 Act against children climbing chimneys. We have set up 

 a little Society in Shrewsbury to prosecute those who break 

 the law. It is all Susan's doing. She has had very nice 

 letters from Lord Shaftesbury and the Duke of Sutherland, 

 but the brutal Shropshire squires are as hard as stones to 

 move. The Act out of London seems most commonly vio- 

 lated. It makes one shudder to fancy one of one's own 

 children at seven years old being forced up a chimney to 

 say nothing of the consequent loathsome disease and ulcer- 

 ated limbs, and utter moral degradation. If you think 

 strongly on this subject, do make some enquiries ; add to 

 your many good works, this other one, and try to stir up 

 the magistrates. . . . 



The following letter refers to the Royal Medal, which 

 was awarded to him in November, 1853 : 



C. D. to J. D. Hooker. Down [November 1853]. 



My deae Hooker Amongst my letters received this 

 morning, I opened first one from Colonel Sabine ; the con- 

 tents certainly surprised me very much, but, though the 

 letter was a very hind one, somehow, I cared very little in- 

 deed for the announcement it contained. I then opened 

 yours, and such is the effect of warmth, friendship, and 



* The beetle Panagceus crux-major. + His sister. 



