To Sara Sedgwick 29 September [1877]1
Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | (Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.)
Sept. 29th
My dear Sara
I must tell you how deeply I rejoice over my son’s good fortune—2 You will believe me, when I say that for very many years I have not seen any woman, whom I have liked & esteemed so much as you.— I hope & firmly believe that you will be very happy together, notwithstanding that you may find Southampton rather a dull place, about which my son feels such great fears. His dread that you are sacrificing too much in giving up your American home is natural, but I trust will prove groundless.—3 Judging from my own experience life would be a most dreary blank without a dear wife to love with all one’s soul.
I can say with absolute truth that no act or conduct of William has ever in his whole life caused me one minute’s anxiety or disapproval. His temper is beautifully sweet & affectionate & he delights in doing little kindnesses. That you may be happy together is my strong desire, & I thank you from the bottom of my heart for having accepted him.
My dear Sara | Yours affectionately | Charles Darwin
Footnotes
Summary
Rejoices that SS has accepted his son [William]. Judging from his own experience "life would be a most dreary blank without a dear wife to love with all one’s soul".
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-11158
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Sara Sedgwick/Sara Darwin
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- The British Library (Surrogate RP 9524)
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11158,” accessed on 3 May 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11158.xml
