2io Edward Livingston Youmans. 



you. These investigations which I have had to make on 

 the Circulation in Plants have greatly hindered me. I have 

 only quite recently got to work against my next number. 

 I shall not get it out before the end of May or the begin- 

 ning of June. 



Your brother left us ten days ago. I hope he will have 

 had as favourable a voyage as your sister. When next 

 you write you will, I hope, be able to give me some infor- 

 mation as to your intended movements. I shall probably 

 remain in London till the middle of July. 



With kind regards to your wife and sister, very truly 

 yours, HERBERT SPENCER. 



88 KENSINGTON GARDENS SQUARE, LONDON, W., May 7, 1866. 



MY DEAR YOUMANS: Before you receive this you will 

 probably have received the Derby paper, which I posted to 

 you on Friday, containing a paragraph which you will read 

 with melancholy interest a brief tribute of respect to my 

 late father. I was called down to him by telegraph this 

 day fortnight, and found him seriously ill, but not, as I 

 supposed or as any one supposed, in immediate danger. 

 He got gradually worse, however, and died on the Thurs- 

 day night. As you may imagine, the shock has been great 

 and has unnerved me greatly. Indeed, I found my system 

 running down so rapidly and such serious symptoms show- 

 ing themselves, that I have been obliged to come up to 

 town for a few days' change of scene, lest I should fall into 

 some nervous condition, out of which it would take me a 

 long time to recover. 



I return to Derby probably at the close of this week, 

 and shall most likely be away some time. If Mr. Ripley 

 (your note respecting whom has reached me) should call 

 in the course of the next few days, I shall be happy to 

 show him what little attention is possible under present 

 circumstances ; but after Friday it will, I fear, be out of 

 the question for me to do this. 



