18091842! DOWN 31 



C. Lyell to C. Darwin. Letter n 



[July?, 1841?] 



Lyell started on his first visit to the United States in July, 1841, and 

 was absent thirteen months. Darwin returned to London July 23rd, 1841, 

 after a prolonged absence ; he may, therefore, have missed seeing Lyell. 

 Assuming the date 1841 to be correct, it would seem that the plan of 

 living in the country was formed a year before it was actually carried out. 



I have no doubt that your father did rightly in persuading 

 you to stay [at Shrewsbury], but we were much disappointed 

 in not seeing you before our start for a year's absence. 

 I cannot tell you how often since your long illness I have 

 missed the friendly intercourse which we had so frequently 

 before, and on which I built more than ever after your 

 marriage. It will not happen easily that twice in one's life, 

 even in the large world of London, a congenial soul so 

 occupied with precisely the same pursuits and with an inde- 

 pendence enabling him to pursue them will fall so nearly 

 in my way, and to have had it snatched from me with the 

 prospect of your residence somewhat far off is a privation 

 I feel as a very great one. I hope you will not, like 

 Herschell, get far off from a railway. 



To Catherine Darwin. Letter 12 



The following letter was written to his sister Catherine about two 

 months before Charles Darwin settled at Down : 



Sunday [July 1842]. 



You must have been surprised at not having heard 

 sooner about the house. Emma and I only returned yester- 

 day afternoon from sleeping there. I will give you in detail, 

 as my father would like, my opinion on it Emma's slightly 

 differs. Position : about of a mile from the small village 

 of Down in Kent 16 miles from St. Paul's 8J miles from 

 station (with many trains) which station is only 10 from 

 London. This is bad, as the drive from [i.e. on account of] 

 the hills is long. I calculate we are two hours going from 

 London Bridge. Village about forty houses with old walnut 

 trees in the middle where stands an old flint church and the 

 lanes meet. Inhabitants very respectable infant school 

 grown up people great musicians all touch their hats as 

 in Wales and sit at their open doors in the evening ; no 

 high road leads through the village. The little pot-house 



