From Emma Darwin to G. H. Darwin 8 February 1881

My dear George

I got your 4^th letter yesterday, telling of your voyage & how pleasant you found the Blandy's. It arrived when we were just in the midst of a day nearly as bad as the celebrated Tuesday before you started; but the wind changed to the S. & it was furious (so that F. c^d not get beyond the Kitchen garden today) but not cold & the snow is gone. It made F. so envious to hear of your 70°.

We had Leo on Sat, looking very slim & genteel; but he says he is quite well & his appetite is certainly excellent. He is extremely chilly, whch I suppose is a remnant of the disorder. Bessy is at Basset & she does not m. enjoy the M^lle & poor Old W's frantic efforts to talk & understand the reading—

It certainly will take away the pleasure of her visit so I have advised her to profit by it & plunge into talking French, however badly.

I wonder how you will like Romanes' article versus Butler— our young ones are v. severe upon it & on hearing that R. was writing a rejoinder to Butler, the Litches called upon him with the hope of stopping it or modifying it—

R. was v. good natured & read his article to them & consented to leave out a long ironical passage & something more—so they did some good. Krause's article was translated by F. Balfour & we all thou ^t it moderate & excellent—

The Litches are v. sorry that any notice was taken of the subject—but I think they take too serious a view of the whole affair.

How entertaining public affairs have been—& how delightful the Speaker's coup d'état was on the Thursday mg— Hen. & Bessy went of the Thursday evg—in the faint hope of getting into the House. Sir John was away but told them to send for Sir D. Wedderburn. He was v. civil & took them up to the Ladies gallery w. was so overflowing it was hopeless to wait.

Gladstone came to High Elms on Sat—& Leo waited on instead of returning early to Chatham for the chance of his coming here—but in vain. Leo has his classes on now, but manages not to tire himself. I dare say he w^d have escaped this second attack if the Coniston D^r had found out what was the matter; but he did the v. worst thing he c^d viz go a hunting.

He thinks Uncle Ras liked having him to look after & he was qu. comfortable all the time except one of his usual attacks. The Horaces are as happy as Ks & Qs at home again— The visit an utter failure, tho' Effie was civil—& they will not try it again—as Mr F. did not seem as if he cared about seeing anything of Ida.

F. Balfour is in a fury w. Butlers answer— which certainly contains some falsehoods.

Poor old Brooks is ill & I am afraid not the least likely to die. Nothing particular the matter with him; but a general failure. M^r Fegan has had such an effect on the Reeves family, that Mrs Reeves who I believe formerly never went to see her father now is kind & attentive. Old Reeves is quite a saint & "makes prayer" & so does Nicholls. Mr Hoole appeared the other day, bringing a wonderful account of his wife—Fred—Lubbock has bought the Rookery for only £5000 M^r Nash having given £10,000—- (F. has not lost the eczema, but it is v. slight now—)

Yours my dear old man — E. D.

I expect that you will find the Society quite pleasant—

It is well if poor young Campbell does not die of the voyage—

F. begs you will not forget the worms in those parts—

He is puzzled how worms get to islands.