196                                                                                     [chap. XIV
 

CHAPTER XIV

1870—1871

The Descent of Man—Polly the Ur-kund—The Franco-Grerraau War
—On keeping Sunday—Erasmus Daiwin^—The marriage of
Henrietta Darwin—A wedding-gift from the Working Men's
College.

In January, 1870, I went to Cannes. Fanny AUen wrote
to my mother: " It is marveUous to me, sitting by the fire
rejoicing in the repose, to read of the rushing of the young
to aU points of the compass in such weather! But in reahty
at their age, if I had had their power, I should have done the
same. I now only wonder at the progress of kindness and
indulgence on the parents' part that aid their chUdren in
their natural tastes."

WhUst I was abroad the proof-sheets of The Descent of
Man were sent out to me to read. My mother wrote to me
of one of the chapters: " I think it wUl be very interesting,
but that I shaU dishke it very much as again putting God
further off." To show how dehghtfuUy my father took any
help his chUdren gave him, I give two letters he wrote to me,
although of course the praise is out of aU proportion to th^
real value of my corrections for the press.
 

Charles Darwin to his daughter Henrietta.

My DEAB H.,                                                        Spring, 1870.

I have worked through (and it is hard work), haK of
the 2nd chapter on mind, and your corrections and sug¬
gestions are excellent. I have adopted the greater ^umber,
and I am sure that they are very great improvements. Some
of the transpositions are most just. You have done me
real service; but, by Jove, how hard you must have worked.