Document information

Physical location:

MS 1946, No. 440 Charles Daley papers, pp. 158-9, National Library of Australia, Canberra. 84.11.01a

Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to Henrietta Wehl, 1884-11-01 [84.11.01a]. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id//letters/1880-9/1884/84-11-01a-final.odt>, accessed June 13, 2026

1/11/84
It was very pleasing to me, dear niece, to receive your nice letter of 24th October
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Letter not found. This extract appears in the MS of Charles Daley's never-published biography of M.
written in such excellent calligraphy — and what is still more to be appreciated in such gentle spirit. I am glad you progress well at school, and could only wish that you would add linguistics to your other requirements. Perhaps you may make some special efforts to learn the language of the native country of your parents yet. The literature is so rich, and in many respects so beautiful while it carries more widely anyone conversationally than any other language except English, which again consists to one third of German words through the early immigration of Saxons into Britain.
[…]
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Daley continues: 'Then follows some good advice and commendation for keeping her father's grave in order. In another letter he praises his niece for keeping a little gift which he has sent to her in childhood and writes: "I have here also yet some few things with which I played when I was a little boy".'