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OCR Rendition - approximate
Eugenics as a Creed and the Last Decade of Galton's Life 389 and found myself at the appointed time landed at Ufhngton in sight of the White Horse, having forgotten to change at Newbury, and only got to Oxford when the ceremony was all over! Item, I had to go up to see my Doctor; but he has made me feel distinctly better, granting me a sound heart, lungs and arteries, but a crippled digestive machinery. Item, I have nearly got a number of Biometrika ready, and am really getting forward with the albinos and other work. You will receive shortly two more Eugenics Laboratory Lectures and Part III of the Treasury. Item, I have had some unpleasant American experiences with the man who wanted to help the Laboratory. In my second letter I simply said that we could not approve his horse-breeding experiments, and that I regretted we could not send a man out to America to explain our projects, but that he could hear any particulars he wanted of the work of the Laboratory from Professor R. Pearl. That, I thought, was the end of the matter. However it appears he wrote to Pearl and was so pleased with his account, that according to his Father Confessor, the Baptist Minister, he determined to hand over his fortune to the Laboratory ! Considering that I had written pretty frankly that I thought his ideas were folly, this was a sign of wisdom on his part! Now come his relatives on the scene and they, according to the Baptist Minister, have been writing the would-be Eugenist letters in my name to prove that I am insane ! Really the Americans are a wonderful people and full of resource. I don't mind the two letters I have written being treated as public property; they concern only the purpose of the Laboratory and the foolish character of the American's breeding schemes, but it is a bit rough to have forgeries put out in one's name even in a foreign country. The whole thing, however, has its humorous side. I think Ploetz is a sound man, and keen on Eugenics. I should not, however, allow his ~° International " Society to absorb yours as a branch, which he may suggest. I fancy he is working in the first place to accumulate material with regard to families. I am so heartily glad about the bust and so grateful to Miss Biggs for seeing it through. I knew it ought to have been done, because it is idle to disguise the fact that there will be a need for it, and it is so feeble to get recognition only of this fact, when it is too late to get a true portrait. I am sure you will enjoy this weather, if your new quarters are at all airy. We have been taking two meals a day in the open air. I shall look you up on the map and certainly come over if cycle and train will work in. I have got three albino puppies born since we came down, so that now we have ten albino dogs. It is strange to see how motherhood has converted our fearful, shy little Pekinese into a furious little vixen. She sprang at a huge English sheepdog the other day and drove it right out of the croft, and she promptly nipped my fingers when I touched one of her pups. They have not opened their eyes yet, but to judge from their coats they are all albinos. I propose next to try a cross with a pug, the offspring should not be albinos, and then if we cross them, we might get a race of something approaching albino pugs. These Pekinese albinos are not as graceful as the normal Pekinese, and are very inert. Always yours affectionately, KARL PEARSON. Fox HOLM, COBHAM, SURREY. August 11, 1909. MY DEAR KARL PEARSON, This is mainly to report arrival at this pretty, small house, with lawn, gardens and acres of wood-land. Best congratulations on your boy's successful entrance into Winchester. What strange people the Americans are! Don't get dragged into a law-suit there !! About the bust, I was over careful about praising the work, which I did not see after Frampton's final handling in his studio. Miss Biggs did, and is enthusiastic about it, both. as a likeness and as a work of Art. So that is well. I hope the puppies' eyes are now open and that they are as red as you could desire. It is excellent news that your Doctor passes you as quite sound. Alas, I am not, and no better in essentials. It will be delightful to see the two additional lectures, and Part III of the Treasury. Ever affectionately, FRANCIS GALTON. PAYABLES, W OODCOTE, NEAR READING. September 4, 1909. MY DEAR FRANCIS GALTON, I hope all is well with you, and that your quarters have fulfilled your hopes of them, and not proved too cold during this sunless month. I meant to write to you before, but I have been rather depressed and somewhat over-worked. I have been suffering from teeth troubles, not exactly toothache, which would be settled by one or two
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