1878 THE LECTURE AT DUBLIN 77 



sleep here ? "We should be very glad indeed if you 

 can come. If so, I would suggest your leaving 

 Charing Cross by the 4.12 train, and we would send 

 a carriage to Orpington to meet you, and send you 

 back next morning. In this case let us have a line 

 fixing your day. It will be dull for you, for none of 

 my sons except Frank are at home. 



The extraordinary modesty, the absolute sim- 

 plicity, the fatherly kindness, which breathe in this 

 letter, cannot but give some idea of what Mr. Darwin 

 was and why he was so much loved. 



Dnnskaith, Boss-shire : August 29, 1878. 



My dear Mr. Darwin, — ^I only returned here yes- 

 terday and found your letter awaiting me. 



Your letter has made me as proud as Punch, and 

 as you have such a good opinion of the line of work, 

 I think I shall adopt your plan of working up the 

 subject weU before I pubhsh the book. The greatest 

 difficulty I had in writing the lecture was to make it 

 short enough, but it will be splendid to be able to 

 spread oneself over the whole subject in a book. I 

 was at one time in doubt whether it would be better 

 to spend time over this subject or over something 

 more purely physiological, but of late I had begun to 

 incline towards the former, and your opinion has now 

 settled mine. 



I have not previously heard of the book by the 

 Belgian physicist, and should much Hke to read it. I 

 have already such a number of your books that I fear 

 you must sometimes miss them ; but I can return any 

 of them at a minute's notice. 



