L11.

Francis Darwin to T. H. Huxley

Springfield, Newnham,

Cambridge

Dec 12, 1882.

Dear Mr. Huxley

Do you think you could give me any kind of sketch or personal recollections of my father? I do not ask you to think of it now. All I ask now is that if you feel that you could ever put together any such recollections, you will let me have the advantage of them.

I should especially like anything that you could write about my father to be published with his letters.

Yrs sincerely

Francis Darwin

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Francis Darwin to T. H. Huxley

Down, Thursday [20 April] 1882

Dear Mr Huxley

My mother asks me to write to you and tell you of my dear father's death. He died yesterday afternoon about 4 o'clock; he was not unconscious except for the last 1/4 hr. He had an attack in the middle of Tuesday night in which he had some pain which was continuous but not severe. He fainted and soon regained consciousness but remained in a condition of terrible faintness and suffered very much from overpowering nausea interrupted by retching. He more than once said "if I could but die." He got more and more pulseless and the final change came on quickly at the end. My mother bears it wonderfully and is very calm. She could not have borne a long illness she was unnerved, and worn by the physical part of the nursing before the end came. She felt his suffering so much I think

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Francis Darwin to T. H. Huxley

there is some consolation, even for her, in the shortness of the illness.

I hope you will not mind me saying how often I have heard him express his affectionate regard for you. We all feel your friendship was an unvarying cause of real happiness to my father.

Yours sincerely

Francis Darwin

[Huxley's reply to this letter is transcribed at CUL-DAR215.10k.]