4;">0 Life and Letters of Francis Galton 



bathe in the sea — Thank you tor buying me those five shillings of (lower seeds- -please to thank 

 Emilia for taking such care of my Garden and Bessy for my carnations when they return 

 Home — I suppose that almost all the Mowers at Home are beginning to blow — I hope that 

 little Herman is better of the Croup — Please to tell me if the Alderney Cow has calved. I ran 

 now speak french pretty well. In your next letter please to tell me if Adcle has any german 

 master or mistress as Miss Abick is married. — It will not be more than three Months to the 

 Midsummer Holidays — I have been learning a great deal of Oonchology lately — I hope that all 

 at Home are quite well- — -Have you had any letters from Darwin or Erasmus*. When do you 

 think Erasmus will come home? for it is a long time since he left us — I suppose that Mrs French 

 has a great deal of land to herself as Mr Millington is dead — I have neither begun dancing or 

 fencing. Good bye and believe me your most affectionate Son, F. Galton." 



Is it not a nice letter? dear little Fellow, I am sure he is not aware what pleasure it gives 

 us all to hear from him else he would write oftener. We all enjoy Leamington much and were 

 it not from a calculation that I have made viz. that I shall lose thirty-six hours of practising 

 that is allowing three hours for each day, I should wish never to leave it. Lucy has told yo.u 

 almost every thing except that we have seen Mr Jones the Surgeon who alas! did not recognise 

 us. We have just received a letter from Darwin, who still seems to be anxious to enter the 

 Army but has not yet received Papa's letter about advising him to enter the Infantry, instead 

 of the Cavalry. The letter is written in very good French, and he tells us that Uncle Howard 

 is going to make a Tour in the south of France and that Little Robert is growing a Beauty. 

 Uncle Darwin t has also sent us a very kind letter, saying that he has had a personal interview 

 with Lord Hill, who has been most gracious and condescending with regard to Darwin, and 

 assures him that his Nephew requires no introduction, and that he will send my Uncle in 

 writing his opinion about what steps ought to be taken, so now I think Darwin is in a fair 

 road for entering the Army. Really I begin to like Uncle Bob after all. — Thank you, dear 

 Bessy, for your letter. How happy you both seem to be. What a kind (or what Francis would 

 call kindissimo) Aunt Mrs Gurney is. From your affectionate Sister, M. A. Galton. 



Letters of AdMe a ml Emma Galton to their Sister Bessie at Duddeston on, 

 the death of the i)- Grandfather, Samuel Galton (see Vol. i, p. 40 el se([.). 



[1832.1 

 Dearest Bessy, I cannot tell you how often I have thought of you and my dear Aunts 

 during this great trial, more especially of you as this being the first time you have witnessed 

 death it must have made such a deep impression on you. I also wish with you that I had been 

 able to see my dear Grandfather's remains. I never shall forget the last time he shook hands 

 with me; I felt as he walked out of the Dining room that I might never see him again and so 

 it has happened. Thank you for telling me he mentioned my name among those of the other 

 members of the family for it did indeed make me very glad to think that he had so kindly 

 remembered me. We all, dear Bessy, feel very much obliged to you for writing such nice long 

 letters to us, what a deal of writing you must have had to do and how happy you must feel in 

 being of use to my Aunt. I must own I felt very sorry to hear that Aunt Sophia* has fixed 



* Francis Galton's elder brothers. t Dr Robert Darwin, Charles Darwin's father. 



X Aunt Sophia: see Vol. i, Plate XXXV. The following lines of Tertius Galton on his 

 sister Sophia may be cited here: 



A description of Miss Galton of Dudson by S. T. G. 1831 to her amusement. 

 "My head wears a cap that makes all the world stare, 



My face sports a nose of dimensions most rare, 



•My eyes like two saucers that roll in their sphere, 



My waist thin as a lath, my back straight as a spear, 



My manners precise, yet my looks full of fun 



And tho' rather coquettish, yet grave as a nun; 



A very neat seamstress, I make my own frocks ; 



A very good housewife, knit stockings and socks, 



If one farthing is missing I make a great fuss. 



My age, upwards of forty — my name it is 'Puss.' " 



