484 THE WRITING OF THE ' ORIGIN OF SPECIES.' [1858. 



Will you answer me sometime about your notions of the 

 length of my abstract. 



/ If you see Lyell, will you tell him how truly grateful I 

 feel for his kind interest in this affair of mine. You must 

 know that I look at it, as very important, for the reception of 

 the view of species not being immutable, the fact of the great- 

 est Geologist and Botanist in England taking any sort of in- 

 terest in the subject : I am sure it will do much to break down 



prejudices. 



Yours affectionately, 



C. Darwin. 



C. Darwm to J. D. Hooker. 



Miss Wedgwood's, Hartfield, Tunbridge Wells, 



[July 13th, 1858]. 



My dear Hooker, — Your letter to Wallace seems to me 

 perfect, quite clear and most courteous. I do not think it 

 could possibly be improved, and I have to day forwarded it 

 with a letter of my own. I always thought it very possible 

 that I might be forestalled, but I fancied that I had a grand 

 enough soul not to care ; but I found myself mistaken and 

 I punished ; I had, however, quite resigned myself, and had 

 written half a letter to Wallace to give up all priority to him, 

 and should certainly not have changed had it not been for 

 Lyell's and your quite extraordinary kindness. I assure you 

 I feel it, and shall not forget it. I am more than satisfied at 

 what took place at the Linnean Society. I had thought 

 that your letter and mine to Asa Gray were to be only an 

 appendix to Wallace's paper. 



We go from here in a few days to the sea-side, probably 

 to the Isle of Wight, and on my return (after a battle with 

 pigeon skeletons) I will set to work at the abstract, though 

 how on earth I shall make anything of an abstract in thirty 

 pages of the Journal, I know not, but will try my best. I 

 shall order Bentham ; is it not a pity that you should waste 

 time in tabulating varieties } for I can get the Down school- 

 master to do it on my return, and can tell you all the results. 



