My dear Huxley

I was rejoiced to see your hand writing with a good account of your family & of y^r own profound idleness, which must be a novelty to you.² I have done nothing since May 1^st which is enough almost to break my heart; but I am slowly getting better, & this I owe entirely I believe to D^r Bence Jones who has half starved me to death & reduced my weight 15^lb but done me wonderful good.³

Poor dear Hooker seems to have had a most serious illness, but he seems as vigorous as ever in mind, judging from a long & pleasant letter I rec^d from him a few days ago.⁴

I suppose you know about the sale of the “Reader”; but I have heard nothing beyond the bare fact of the sale to M^r Bendyshe.⁵ I do not know whether we old shareholders are paid off.⁶ I shall regret extremely if the Reader fails as a newspaper for general science.⁷

Pangenesis in my mind is rising a little more into favour after the shock it received from your criticism;⁸ but you did me an immense service in making me estimate its value at a very low figure, as indeed must be the case with any mere hypothesis.

I hope you are grappling with your work like a refreshed giant & I dare say you did not quite resist looking at marine animals at little Hampton.⁹

My dear Huxley | yours most sincerely | Ch. Darwin

E.D’s love to M^rs Huxley & the dear little people.¹⁰