A Rare Original Hand Written Letter Signed by Charles Kingsley to His Son. The letter undated C1874. Autograph Letter Signed with initials 'C.K.', The Cloisters, [Westminster Abbey], Wednesday, no date, c. 1874, to 'My dear little man' [his son Maurice, born 1847, or Grenville, born 1848], 'I am delighted with the report from mother... ', giving moral guidance and thoughts about duty and competitiveness, 'when you find you can do as well as other boys you will be soon trying to do better than they. The feeling of honorable rivalry comes in - the feeling which makes a horse go, and a hound go, and a cock fight... if horse, dog, or cock don't care about being beaten, we call them asleep/a cur/or craven........ ', Charles Kingsley 1819-1875 was a broad church priest of the Church of England, a university professor, social reformer, historian, novelist and poet. He is particularly associated with Christian socialism, the working men's college, and forming labour cooperatives, which failed, but encouraged later working reforms. He was a friend and correspondent of Charles Darwin. Kingsley's interest in history is shown in several of his writings, including The Heroes (1856), a children's book about Greek mythology, and several historical novels, of which the best known are Hypatia (1853), Hereward the Wake (1865) and Westward Ho! (1855). Kingsley's concern for social reform is illustrated in his classic, The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby (1863), a tale about a boy chimney sweep, which retained its popularity well into the 20th century. The Kingsley letter was gifted by Kingsley's daughter, the novelist Mary Harrison (1852-1931) to Lady Mary Colyer-Fergusson (1871-1964) of Ightham Mote, Kent; and thence by family descent. Size is 175mm x 110mm. Condition is good. Letter with light folding creases brown edge stained effecting first page of four.