348 LIFE AT DOWN. ,TAT. 33-45. [1851. 



C. Darwin to W. D. Fox. 



Down, April 2gth [1851]. 



MY DEAR Fox, I do not suppose you will have heard 

 of our bitter and cruel loss. Poor dear little Annie, when 

 going on very well at Malvern, was taken with a vomiting 

 attack, which was at first thought of the smallest importance ; 

 but it rapidly assumed the form of a low and dreadful fever, 

 which carried her off in ten days. Thank God, she suffered 

 hardly at all, and expired as tranquilly as a little angel. Our 

 only consolation is that she passed a short, though joyous life 

 She was my favourite child ; her cordiality, openness, buoyant 

 joyousness and strong affections made her most lovable. 

 Poor dear little soul. Well it is all over. . . . 



C. Darwin to W. D. Fox. 



Down, March 7th [1852]. 



MY DEAR Fox, It is indeed an age since we have had 

 any communication, and very glad I was to receive your note. 

 Our long silence occurred to me a few weeks since, and I had 

 then thought of writing, but was idle. I congratulate and 

 condole with you on your tenth child ; but please to observe 

 when I have a tenth, send only condolences to me. We have 

 now seven children, all well, thank God, as well as their 

 mother ; of these seven, five are boys ; and my father used to 

 say that it was certain that a boy gave as much trouble as 

 three girls ; so that bond fide we have seventeen children. It 

 makes me sick whenever I think of professions; all seem 

 hopelessly bad, and as yet I cannot see a ray of light. I 

 should very much like to talk over this (by the way, my three 

 bugbears are Californian and Australian gold, beggaring me 

 by making my money on mortgage worth nothing ; the French 

 coming by the Westerham and Sevenoaks roads, and there- 

 fore enclosing Down ; and thirdly, professions for my boys), 

 and I should like to talk about education, on which you ask 

 me what we are doing. No one can more truly despise the 



