488 Life and Letters of Francis Galton 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. February 13, 1892. 



My DKAit BlRMY, We will write to Emma after the wedding on Wednesday to tell news 

 of it. I saw Douglas* on Thursday, he had rather a bad boil on his face which looked painful 

 but as though it had reached its worst. There were others by, and I had no family talk. He 

 did not look over well. Yesterday I went to see George Darwin receive his gold medal from 

 the Astronomical Society. The President read an Address of no less than 40 minutes of quick 

 reading on his merits. It is a considerable honour to him, but one that he has more than 

 deserved. 



It is such a pleasure to be able to think of Emma in her drawing-room and not in bed. 

 I get strong rather by fits and starts than regularly, and still want a good sleep some time during 

 the day. I think 1 nave now no illness left in me, but was not so sure of that five days ago. 

 Poor Reginald t. I often think of old times when he was a sort of glorious Bob Sawyer, as 

 medical student in London. It is pleasant getting back to work again. They want to nominate 

 me as President of the British Association for 1893, but I have definitely declined, as I did 

 for 1891, being out of my element in dining out day after day, and making speeches, which 

 I detest. Besides, I am too deaf to do the ordinary Presidential duties well. 



This is of course intended as a letter to Emma also. Dear Mother, I often thought of her 

 yesterday. To think it was as much as 18 years since she died. 



We expect to be cut off from London proper this afternoon by the Salvationists, who are 

 to disport themselves in Hyde Park round General Booth, so as I have things to do in London 

 proper, I must start earlier and lunch out. I was very glad to hear that William Eccles had 

 had a favourable crisis. I suppose a big gall-stone cleared itself out. With both our very best 

 loves to you all. Ever affectionately, Francis Galton. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. February 27, 1892. 



Dear Mr Collins, I am utterly humiliated. The registered letter was laid quietly on the 

 table, while I was sorting and tying up MSS. books. When I ultimately saw it, I mistook it for 

 the Introductory chapter, which you took such pains about, and which ever since has been 

 distinguished by being wrapped in the same envelope in which it arrived, and which was pre- 

 cisely like the envelope in which you sent the last. So I heedlessly tied this up along with the 

 rest and never opened it. On receiving your telegram I made thorough hunt and found the 

 missing MS. I don't ask you to forgive me, only to try to forgive me for causing all this trouble, 

 which I greatly regret. 



Thank you very much for your emendations and suggestions to this last chapter, which 

 I have read through and will adopt, except perhaps the transposition, believing still that it is 

 best to show first that the proposed principle of indexing is feasible, and secondly to consider 

 the best of many alternative ways of applying the principle. As I said on my post-card, the 

 corrections you made to the previous chapter have vastly improved it. 



I have a set of 50 Welsh which you ought to have had, and which I now enclose — they 

 may be acceptable. 



I am trying heredity with some success, partly to test the convertibility or relationship of 

 the patterns (not classes of patterns). There is no possibility of doubting the tendency here to 

 hereditary transmission. Can you let me have back the "Album" which contains specimens of 

 relations? I want next to revise the set of standard patterns and have already something useful 

 and hope before long to send a revised plan for consideration. 



Very faithfully yours, Francis Galton. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. March 1, 1892. 



1 >kar Mr Collins, I send some more Primaries to cut up, for the purpose of defining your 

 frontier. Don't throw away those you don't use, as I should like the opportunity of giving in 

 the book photolithographs of transitional cases, Primary-loops, Primary-whorls and Loop- whorls, 



* Francis Galton's cousin, Sir Douglas Galton, the engineer. 



t Reginald Darwin, son of Sir Francis S. Darwin, Galton's maternal uncle. He died on 

 Feb. 7 of this year. 



