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Feb. 8. 75, Lubbock.

I am much obliged to you for yr letter of the 4th inst: & for yr kind offer to remove what you consider must be a misunderstanding around my the relations existing betw: the Darwin family & myself. In no other [illeg] I assure you cld I regard an offer promised to make hence previously other than a good work but knowing how may more important matters in yr public capacities must necessarily engross yr attention, I have been am unwilling to trouble you & do so only bec: I am persuaded yr overtures are ex amino sincere & well meant. The facts then of the case then are as follows, viz.

Upon an application being made by Mrs Darwin in 1873 for the use of the schlrm as a reading & smoking room Mr Allen & myself called upon Mr Darwin, & after stating the objections we expected the [illeg] wld make to [illeg] a persuasion of the building, it was agreed that I shld forthwith address apply to the Council Office on the subject & of course during the correspondence before the schl Committee. This duty was entrusted to me as the manager of the schl, & the only recognized correspondent at the Council office, on this latter point

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point, the office is very particular in order to avoid confusion & extra labors, but [illeg] notwithstanding this agreement, much to my surprise, I found that Mr. Darwin a few days afterwards wrote to the Council office & laid the question before the roof on the subject— & when subsequently in ratifying w Mrs Darwin that the Infant sch building might be used as a reading room, I've visited him temporarily called attention to the circums: as giving all [illeg] for me arising all thinking possibly some explanation wld be given no notice whatever was taken of the communication.

The next occasion of an uncalled for interference on Mr Darwin's part was last Xtmas.— The schl Committee agreed to partially refloor the Infant schoolroom at a cost of 4£, if that sum was paid as rent for its use as a reading room & upon receiving written [illeg] from Mr Nash to that effect I was authorized to order the work to be done. I heard accordingly from Mr Nash in in the course of a few days, whereupon I called upon the contractor, who informed me that— wht authority from any one—Mr Darwin had ordered not only 4£ but 5£ of work to be done:— with completion I paid the 8 4 we had agreed to spend, & although: Mr Darwin had really made himself responsible for the 5£ he refused to pay the £1 & cooly referred the contractor to the Committee. Now, to the best of my [illeg] the money was left unpaid may be too punctilious, but

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but I can only regard such case as a personal insult to myself of wh I shld not have supposed Mr Darwin wld have been guilty.

I was quite I had been long aware of the harmful tendencies to the cause of revealed religion of Mr Darwin's opinions views but on coming into this parish, I had in my power not to let any difference of opinions interfere with a friendly feeling as neighbours, trusting that God's grace might in time bring one so highly gifted intellectually & morally, to a better mind. Allow me to say for if one thing I feel certain am convinced that neither the [illeg] nor the infidels can feel of [illeg] more of their ground. Allow me as Vicar of the parish— and until this schl affair the Darwin family & myself had been on very good friendly terms

I have only [illeg] that I have no wish to contrain Mr or Mrs Darwin to make relunctant admissions deeply as a I appreciate yr

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yr kind offers of mediation in this matter I consider if due to my self position in this parish to state that I can only accept an explanation if a apology, if such is desired to be given— direct verbally or otherwise from that of leading parties conceived