Characterisation, especially bij Letters 613 



The Court, Grayshott, Haslemkre. October 23, 1910. 



My dear Mjlly, Eva returned yesterday and sends her love. We shall be so glad when 

 the time arrives to see Dim. I have at last finished Kantsaywhere, if that be the best ortho- 

 graphy. Miss Jones has been staying here during Eva's absence and copied it in fair writing. 

 But I must keep it by for a little while and add and alter before sending it to be typed. Then 

 I must ask you and other friends to kindly read and criticise. Itwould nowfill about 20 to 30 pages 

 of Nineteenth Century size and type. I have no news except of an invalid sort, so will not bother 

 you with that. I quite agree with you that the re-visiting places one has known well is usually 

 disappointing. The personal element has changed, and that counts for much more than one had 

 anticipated. The feeling that a once familiar place "knows one no more" is disheartening. 

 I am glad your motor went so well and falsified the grim remarks of the natives about the 

 character of the roadway in front. I wonder whether Switzerland is all round such a good 

 place as many say it is. The owner of the house we have rented for the winter is Swiss, named 

 Le Pury, a very nice man. He married a daughter of Mr Whitaker, the big vine-grower of 

 Marsala, in Sicily, lie too lias a big house whose grounds adjoin Le Pury's. Good-bye, loves all 

 round. Ever affectionately, Francis Galton. 



American Breeders' Association — Eugenics Section. Eugenics Record Office, 

 Cold Sprim; Habbob, Long Island, N.Y. October 2C, 1910. 



My deak Gai.ton, Your post-card of Oct. 14 just received. I thank you for taking the 

 trouble to reply. You must think me a nuisance to add thus even a letter to your correspondence. 

 But I must tell you of recent events here. As the enclosed printed matter will show in some 

 detail, there has been started here a Record Office in Eugenics; so you see the seed sown by you 

 is still sprouting in distant countries. And there is great interest in Eugenics in America, I can 

 assure you. 



We have a plot of ground of 80 acres, near New York City, and a house with a fireproof 

 addition for our records. We have a Superintendent, a stenographer and two helpers, besides 

 six trained field-workers. These are all associated with the Station for Experimental Evolution, 

 which supplies experimental evidence of the methods of heredity. We have a satisfactory 

 income for a beginning and have established very cordial relations with institutions for imbeciles, 

 epileptics, insane and criminals. We arc studying communities with high consanguinity also. 

 Altogether the work is developing in a satisfactory and interesting manner. We have thought 

 that, though our work is mostly in "negative eugenics," we should put ourselves in a position 

 to give positive advice. We cannot urge all persons with a defect not to marry, for that would 

 imply most people, I imagine, but we hope to be able to say, "despite your defect you can have 

 sound offspring if you will marry thus-and-so." 



I want to tell you how much I have enjoyed reading your autobiography. You have quite 

 put yourself into it, and that makes it much more valuable than any "Life" by another hand. 

 It would please you to realise how universal is the recognition in this country of your position 

 as the founder of the Science of Eugenics. And, I think, as the years go by, humanity will 

 more and mure appreciate its debt to you. In this country we have run "charity" mad. Now, 

 a revulsion of feeling is coming about, and people are turning to your teaching. With best 

 wishes for continued strength and health, and with the expression of my profound esteem. 



Yours faithfully, Chas. B. Davenport. 



The Court, Grayshott, Haslemere. November 1, 1910. 



My dear Milly, This will, I suppose, reach you about the time when Dim starts. We 

 shall welcome her with all pleasure. Winter is now at the door. Gifi is for the moment in 

 London looking out the warm winter clothing and we migrate to "Grayshott House" on the 

 16th. That beastly Kuntsawhere (or whatever its name is to be) has been delayed by a 2| days 

 illness of mine in bed. I am quite "at my usual," however, to-day. Some talkers knocked me over. 

 It is odd how invariably one of these asthmas follows any form of fatigue, mental, vocal or 

 otherwise bodily. The Doctor here, Lyndon, is as capable a man as could be found anywhere, 

 which is a comfort. Do you care for the present Poet Laureate, A. Austinl Few do. This 

 story against him was told me yesterday by the President of the Royal Society (Sir A. Geikie). 

 It appears that the Scotch Judge, Lord Young, was noted for his sharp sayings. He met 



