176 'DESCENT OF MAN' — EXPRESSION. [1873. 



able to return to his much loved Drosera. He wrote to 

 Mr. Murray : — 



" I have at last finished, after above three months as hard 

 work as I have ever had in my life, a corrected edition of the 

 ' Descent,' and I much wish to have it printed off as soon as 

 possible. As it is to be stereotyped I shall never touch it 

 again." 



The first of the miscellaneous letters of 1873 refers to a plea- 

 sant visit received from Colonel Higginson of Newport, U.S.] 



C. Darwin to Thos. Wentworth Higginson. 



Down, February 27th [1873]. 



My DEAR Sir, — My wife has just finished reading aloud 

 your ' Life with a Black Regiment,' and you must allow me to 

 thank you heartily for the very great pleasure which it has in 

 many ways given us. I always thought well of the negroes, 

 from the little which I have seen of them ; and I have been 

 delighted to have my vague impressions confirmed, and their 

 character and mental powers so ably discussed. When you 

 were here I did not know of the noble position which you had 

 filled. I had formerly read about the black regiments, but 

 failed to connect your name with your admirable undertaking. 

 Although we enjoyed greatly your visit to Down, my wife 

 and myself have over and over again regretted that we did 

 not know about the black regiment, as we should have greatly 

 liked to have heard a little about the South from your own lips. 



Your descriptions have vividly recalled walks taken forty 

 years ago in Brazil. We have your collected Essays, which 

 were kindly sent us by Mr. [Moncure] Conway, but have not 

 yet had time to read them. I occasionally glean a little news 

 of you in the ' Index ' ; and within the last hour have read an 

 interesting article of yours on the progress of Free Thought. 

 Believe me, my dear Sir, with sincere admiration, 



Yours very faithfully, 



Ch. Darwin. 



