Characterisation, especially by Letters 503 



Address, 42, Rutland Gate, S.W. Grand Hotel, Royat. August 15, 1897. 



Dearest Emma, I hardly know how much time has really passed since I wrote, for each 

 da v lias been divided into two or three by intermediate dozes or sleeps and the last week has been 

 terribly long. Dear Louisa was buried with simple decorum yesterday in the cemetery of Cler- 

 mont-Ferrand. The day was lovely, the mountains looked singularly imposing, the English 

 Chaplain, Mr Wilcox (of Battersea Park Road) officiated, and a most kindly and tactful clergy- 

 man, Mr Jennings, the clergyman of St Stephen's in Cheltenham, who is now copying 

 documents at my side, came with me to the grave. The landlord of the Hotel came also, and 



• I as a perfect courier in managing all the numerous details and formalities. A feeling 

 allusion was made in the sermon of to-day, and appropriate hymns were sung. I shall, I trust, 

 see you for a day before long and can tell more and answer questions. Mme de Falbe has written 

 a full and independent letter to Spencer Butler, describing all she knew, and filling in some 

 needed details. She could not help, or come herself, during the latter part of the illness, being 

 then, and still is, confined to her bedroom by doctor's orders, but she sent a useful maid. You 

 will easily understand how desolate I have felt, but thanks largely to Mr Jennings' tact, con- 

 sideration and manly sympathy, I have already, perhaps, gone through the bitterest period, though 

 I look forward with dread to the most painful task of distributing her familiar personalia, etc. 

 Dearest Louisa, — I have very much to be grateful for, but our long-continued wedded life must any- 

 how have come to an end before long. We have had our day, but I did not expect to be the survivor. 

 I got for the first time in touch with England yesterday, through receiving a telegram from 

 Spencer I Sutler, who is still in London. I thought he had gone to the Engadine. I have had also 

 to-day a telegram from Gifi. These telegrams are a boon to me. People generally do not (and 

 I did not) realise that you can telegraph in English if you please. In any case the cost is only 2d. 

 a word. I hope to get to-morrow, or at all events by Tuesday, any letter you may have sent to 

 Grenoble. < )n Tuesday evening I propose to start home, arriving there on Wednesday evening. 

 I am anxious to hear about yourself; it seems to me that I have not heard for a fortnight, but, 

 as already said, I am astray as to time, and my papers are huddled up in disorder. 



Of course Bessy will understand that in writing to you I write also to her and, through her, 

 both to Edward and Lucy*. I had not written either to Darwin, Erasmus or Milly, but have 

 done so to-day, and enclose the two latter letters for you kindly to address and forward. Excuse 

 more for I must husband strength. Ever very affectionately, Fbanois Galton. 



Examination showed the cause of Louisa's long ill-health and final death to be an extremely 

 small stomach and an extremely constricted outlet due to her illness 19 years ago. The stomach 

 was barely one third the natural size, and the outlet leading out of it no larger than would just 

 contain a common lead pencil. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. October 13, 1897. 



Dear Mrs Hertz, An absurd piece of ill luck has prevented my yet reading von Lippmann's 

 pamphlet. I am just now sorting accumulations of pamphlets, letters, etc., and the pamphlet in 

 question seems to have got into one of the heaps of unsorted materials, whence in due time it 

 will emerge, but at present I cannot find it. I should be much gratified if he does not lose but 

 reads mine, of which I enclose a copy. 



There is to me no difficulty in fraternal variation. The wonder would be if brothers did not 

 vary considering the multitude of unseen disturbing influences on the general tendency of like 

 to produce like. In my theory, the prophecy is that so many per cent, of individuals having like 

 progenitors, will be this or that, and it is the nearly exact fulfilment of the prophecy that the 

 memoir is intended to show. The Basset hounds of the same family are by no means all of the 

 same colour, but the per cent, law holds good notwithstanding. Imagine a pair, whose ancestors 

 arc all known, to produce 100 puppies; then, what I prophesy is that from knowledge of the 

 stry I can tell how many of them would be T and how many N\. The "coefficient" 

 expresses that number. It varies according to the case from 96 to 52 in my Table VI. 



Very truly yours, Francis Galton. 



•Mr and Mrs Edward Wheler-Galton. The latter appears as "M. L." in later letters, 

 probably to distinguish her from other members of the family with the same Christian names, 

 t ?= Tricolour, JV = Non-tricolour. 



