LIFE AND LETTERS 



OF 



CHARLES DARWIN 



CHAPTER I. 



The Publication of the ' Origin of Species.' 

 October 3, 1859, to December 31, 1859. 



1859- 



[Under the date of October 1st, 1859, in my father's 

 Diary occurs the entry : " Finished proofs (thirteen months 

 and ten days) of Abstract on ' Origin of Species ' ; 1250 

 copies printed. The first edition was published on Novem- 

 ber 24th, and all copies sold first day." 



On October 2d he started for a water-cure establishment 

 at Ilkley, near Leeds, where he remained with his family 

 until December, and on the 9th of that month he was again 

 at Down. The only other entry in the Diary for this year 

 is as follows : " During end of November and beginning of 

 December, employed in correcting for second edition of 3000 

 copies ; multitude of letters." 



The first and a few of the subsequent letters refer to proof 

 sheets, and to early copies of the ' Origin ' which were sent 

 to friends before the book was published.] 

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