THE DABWIN COEEESPONDENCE 431 



To the Same 



February 24, 1899. 



I had no idea that your father had kept my letters. Your 

 account of 742 pp. of them is a revelation. I do enjoy re- 

 reading your father's ; as to my own, I regard it as a punish- 

 ment for my various sins of blindness, perversity, and in- 

 attention to his thousand and one facts and hints that I 

 did not profit by as I should have, all as revealed by my 

 letters. I do not think I gave my mind as I ought to have 

 — but I had always my head and hands full of all sorts of 

 duties, and my correspondence with your father was the 

 sweet, amongst many bitters. 



Yes, I will gladly go down at some future time and confab 

 with you. 



To the Same 



March 21, 1899. 



I enclose copies of your father's letters to mine. The 

 first refers to his testimonial towards my candidature for 

 the Botany Chair of Edinburgh University. If you care 

 for a copy of this I will send it, though it savours of vanity 

 to offer it. 



Ever affectionately yours, 

 Jos. D. Hookbb. 



P.S. — You are most welcome to the originals of my letters 

 to your father. If I had them I . should be tempted to burn 

 them ! 



For he was, as ever, very critical of his bygone letters, as 

 he dipped again and again into the four red portfolios of them 

 now at his elbow : * From what I read of them, I thought 

 they were very poor stuff ' (February 1, 1901). He preferred 

 his present r61e of throwing light where it was needed on 

 Darwin's current interests, and again insisted, * Do not hesitate 

 to ask me for any information I can give you.' Going over 

 the slip proofs in May 1902 was no burden, but a pleasure : 

 l To me the letters are most refreshing — they bring all Down 

 home to me/ 



The crowning pleasure came as the book neared completion," 

 and the authors proposed to dedicate it to Darwin's closest 

 friend, 



