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[In another's hand:] Darwin F

DOWN, BECKENHAM, KENT.

RAILWAY STATION ORPINGTON. S.E.R.

[1882.04.19]

Dear Sir John

My mother is anxious that I should write to you about my father's death. He seemed very well on Tuesday the 18th so that both my sister Henrietta & myself left home for that night. He was attacked with the pain in his chest about 12 o'clock at night and fainted away; he soon regained consciousness but remained in a distressing state

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of weakness. He continued to suffer extremely from deep nausea & painful retching at intervals; his weakness was also terrible suffering. He continued conscious until very nearly the end which came at 4 o'clock.

He seemed to know he was dying after the first seizure & spoke of his death without fear

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and afterwards in his great suffering expressed a wish to die. My mother bears it wonderfully and is very calm

I have as yet only written to Hooker & Huxley (out of beyond our relatives) so please do not think we had in any degree forgotten your affectionate regard for my father

Yours sincerely

Francis Darwin