Characterisation, especially by Letters 603 



I read your excellent Geographical appeal for funds for a larger house*, and shall in due 

 time send my quota. Just at this moment I am rather entangled with prospective obligations, 

 or fancy that I am. 



What an eventful Geographical Presidency you have had. I am very glad of it for your 

 sake. With every appropriate New Year wish to you and your wife. 



Ever sincerely yours, Francis Galton. 



The Rectory, Haslemere. January 25, 1910. 



My dear Eva, By all means let Sir G. Frampton send the bust to the Royal Academy. 

 My poor shrunken nose! I feel like Wee Ling looking into a glass. The little beast is as merry 

 as can be, and we have a grand game of hob-sugar after dinner. He has grown disdainful of 

 bob-indiarubber-ball. Yes, ask Pan ami Hesketh for Feb. 5-7. Dr Barnardo must have been 

 a wonderfully good organiser. I should be glad of particulars. Milly dragonises well. Sir A. 

 Geikie tea-ed here yesterday and told me much iti the scientific way. His book about Seneca's 

 philosophy is printed, but held back until the election turmoil has subsided. Major Norris has 

 got me a good account of Daddy Tin Whisker from Australia. It is aluminium, rubbed by an 

 amalgam (= a metal combined with mercury). Its filamentous growth has been noticed, but no 

 explanation is given. I can fancy a scab being produced, but don't understand the hairy 

 growth. 



1 am quite in "my usual " again, — and Miss Jones is busy at Miss Baden-Powell's silhouettes 

 (which you traced for me) — but I was trembling on the verge of being bad three days ago. 

 Drives on two successive days, and an hour in the shed on the third, were too much for me. 

 Milly seems quite happy, and I gather that you are also. Give much love from me to the Brees. 

 I am wearing Adele's muffetees with much sense of comfort. The partial discolouration has been 

 washed out by Charman. Ever affectionately, Francis Galton. 



1 lave you news of Bessiet yet? 



The Rectory, Haslemere. March 13, 1910. 



(42, Rutland Gate, S.W. on and after Monday 21st.) 



My DRAB Milly, Your spring is a full week in advance of ours, I think. Here are lots of 

 crocuses, but no green tips yet to the trees. William Darwin J is here with his motor for the 

 week-end. Edward Wheler comes on Wednesday for a night or two. Then we pack up and send 

 off most things by Giti on Friday. Eva, man-nurse and I by motor on Monday, and the one 

 remaining maid by train on that day. Amy and Guy will enjoy their Loxton picnic. Poor 

 Frank ! A man, Mr M. W., who was in office in the Cape, married a wealthy lady here 

 and has now returned, did not speak in the same gloomy terms that Frank does. Probably he 

 got his foot early in the stirrup and mounted a good horse, and so pushed forwards. Col. 

 Melville spoke strongly in favour of Mr Haldane^, who he thinks has done and is doing wonders 

 in the face of great difficulties of tradition, organisation and the like. Eva sends her best love 

 to you all, so do I. Ever affectionately, Francis Galton. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. March 27, 1910. 



My dear Milly, Somewhat battered by coughing, mostly asthmatic, here I am, settled 

 in home again. Everything looks homely and suggests old associations. Dim's portrait, in photo, 

 stands conspicuously on the chimney-piece opposite. But the room has to be rearranged, owing to 

 structural alterations in the form of a built partition between the front drawing-room, now my only 

 drawing-room, and the back one, now my bedroom. It will take time to make it all comfortable, 

 new bells, etc. I understood from a line in Lucy's letter that a picture of Ravenscourt is in this 

 week's Queen newspaper. I will order it as soon as Bank Holiday is past. We are trying Coalite, 

 said to burn more purely and with loss heat than coal; a desideratum for my small bedroom. Do 

 you ever use it? A friend comes to-day to show off his hearing apparatus, which, when in good 



* Major Leonard Darwin was at this time President of the Royal Geographical Society. 

 t N'osv Mrs Simmons, Evelyne Biggs' former maid. 

 J Charles Darwin's eldest son. 



\f tor wards Lord Haldane, then at the War Office. 



76—2 



