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[printed letterhead] Ridgemount, Basset, Southampton

Jan. 30th

My dear F.

Thank you for your letter. I will consider it and write again. My first impression is that it would be a thousand pities not to give the memoir in the unbroken series.

I send some rough notes of mine (not written out) as you asked about his political opinions, if you make use

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of any sentence or two in it, I think it would be simpler to adopt it as your own. The point I should have liked to have made strong is the wonderful impression one got of his immense reverence for the laws of nature.

I have a card from Mother saying that she is satisfied. I send 2 letters of Leo, who is in an

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odd exaggerated state of mind. I think his last letters not very wise, as if 2 sentences could make the difference of Mother's happiness for the rest of her life. It would be absurd to insert them, in 10 or 15 years, omitting the autobiography would be far wiser.

I merely send the letters, as he has lately

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seen Mother & I have not and I should be glad to know whether you'd not think his view unreasonable.

I feel for Hen.^tta but much more for Mother & Bessy as being believers. I have little doubt if the Descent had been left unpublished Hen. would have been for cutting out passages as unworthy of his name.

Your affect. bro.

W.E.D.