DARWIN 15 



(I forget title) about the country near Godalming, it must be 

 charming. 



" We have just returned home after spending five weeks 

 on Ullswatero The scenery is quite charming, but I cannot 

 walk, and everything tries me, even seeing scenery, talking 

 with anyone, or reading much. What I shall do with my 

 few remaining years of life I can hardly tell. I have every- 

 thing to make me happy and contented, but life has become 

 very wearisome to me. I heard lately from Miss Buckley 

 in relation to Lyell's Life, and she mentioned that you were 

 thinking of Switzerland, which I should think and hope that 

 you would enjoy much. 



" I see that you are going to write on the most difficult 

 political question, the land. Something ought to be done, 

 but what, is the rub. I hope that you will (not) turn renegade 

 to natural history; but I suppose that politics are very 

 tempting. 



With all good wishes for yourself and family, 

 Believe me, my dear Wallace, 

 Yours very sincerely, 



Charles Darwin." 



This letter is, to me, perhaps the most interesting I ever 

 received from Darwin, since it shows that it was only the 

 engrossing interests of his scientific and literary work, per- 

 formed under the drawback of almost constant ill-health, that 

 prevented him from taking a more active part in the discussion 

 of those social and political questions that so deeply affect the 

 lives and happiness of the great bulk of the people. It is a 

 great satisfaction that his last letter to me, written within 

 nine months of his death, and terminating a correspondence 

 which had extended over a quarter of a century, should be so 

 cordial, so sympathetic, and broad-minded. 



In 1870 he had written to me, " I hope it is a satisfaction 

 to you to reflect — and very few things in my life have been 

 more satisfactory to me — that we have never felt any jealousy 

 towards each other, though in some sense rivals. I believe 

 I can say this of myself with truth, and I am absolutely sure 



