From M. I. Snow 29 [November 1872 or later]1
The Down Wood, | Blandford.
⟨ ⟩m⟨b⟩er 29th.
Dea⟨r⟩ Sir.
⟨Wh⟩en I am playing ⟨o⟩n the piano, and anyone ⟨co⟩mes, and looks over me; ⟨I⟩ am afraid they will ⟨loo⟩k at my hands, and ⟨I⟩ am so afraid of their ⟨being⟩ red that they blush, ⟨though they⟩—were not red [before.]2
When my governess spoke of my hands ⟨ ⟩ being long or able ⟨to⟩ stretch, or drew a⟨ttention⟩ to them, they ⟨blushed.⟩ I once said this to ⟨ ⟩ I forget who, I think on⟨e⟩ of my governesses, she said “Oh yes, of co⟨urse⟩ everyone blushes in th⟨eir⟩ hands.”
I hope you will not think I am trying to hoax ⟨you⟩ because I could ⟨not⟩ do such a thing, and ⟨w⟩ould be disgusted ⟨at⟩ anyone who did.
Yr. truly | Maria Isabella Snow.
⟨I⟩ used to feel my hands ⟨ge⟩tting redder and redder, ⟨the⟩ more they were looked ⟨at⟩ I say they “used” ⟨ ⟩ise since I left the ⟨ ⟩room, I never play ⟨ ⟩, so I have not seen it lately—
Footnotes
Bibliography
Expression 2d ed.: The expression of the emotions in man and animals. By Charles Darwin. 2d edition. Edited by Francis Darwin. London: John Murray. 1890.
Expression: The expression of the emotions in man and animals. By Charles Darwin. London: John Murray. 1872.
Freeman, Richard Broke. 1977. The works of Charles Darwin: an annotated bibliographical handlist. 2d edition. Folkestone, Kent: William Dawson & Sons. Hamden, Conn.: Archon Books, Shoe String Press.
Summary
Describes her experiences of blushing on her hands.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-13842
- From
- Maria Isabella Snow
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Blandford
- Source of text
- DAR 177: 213
- Physical description
- ALS 4pp damaged
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 13842,” accessed on 26 September 2022, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-13842.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 20
