WhatyoutellmeafterspeakingwithBuskaboutthelengthoftheAbstractisanIMMENSErelieftome;itwillmakethelabourfarless，nothavingtoshortensomucheverysinglesubject;butIwilltrynottobetoodiffusive。Ifearitwillspoilallinterestinmybook（Thelargerbookbegunin1856。），wheneverpublished。TheAbstractwilldoverywelltodivideintoseveralparts:thusIhavejustfinished\"VariationunderDomestication，\"inforty—fourMS。pages，andthatwoulddoforoneevening;
butIshouldbeextremelysorryifallcouldnotbepublishedtogether。
WhatelseyousayaboutmyAbstractpleasesmehighly，butfrightensme，forIfearIshallneverbeabletomakeitgoodenough。ButhowIdorunonaboutmyownaffairstoyou！
IwasastonishedtoseeSirW。Hooker’scardheretwoorthreedaysago:I
wasunfortunatelyoutwalking。Henslow，also，haswrittentome，proposingtocometoDownonthe9th，butalas，Idonotreturntillthe13th，andmywifenottillaweeklater;sothatIamalsomostsorrytothinkIshallnotseeyou，forIshouldnotliketoleavehomesosoon。IhadthoughtofgoingtoLondonandrunningdownforanhourortwotoKew……