From Emma Darwin to G. H. Darwin [16 April 1881]

My dear George

I wonder how you are getting on & how cold you are. I was very glad to hear that you were able to work a good bit before you left Cam. I suppose Helmholtz will be interesting but not entertaining by Richards acct (who met him at the Dicey's) he says that his way of speaking was so very measured & slow that he was heavy—

I wonder how cold you are— Here we want rain terribly but the days are pleasant & lawn tennis has begun— Leo. goes today to spend the Sunday at the Brasseys.

Bernard had a delightful treat this mg. with a little bonfire in the orchard, & he & Leo. being Red Indians.

He has quite over Marianne's departure— She poor sould in spite of her apparent stoicism could not get over it so easily c^d not sleep for some nights.

We had a call from Alice & Madam Helmholtz— She is niece to old M^me Mohl & a very lively agreeable woman & F. flirted v. prettily with her. He has been led by an application from a Swedish man of science to send his opinion on vivisection or rather experiments on live animals to the Times.

There is a great attack going on at this time so it is quite à propos— The Swede asked his opinion as he had heard him quoted as a complete opponent of experiments—

The Litches will be here on Wed. & the Horaces gone to Abinger. The Dickeys are invited for Saturday the 23^rd & also the V. Marshalls. So I hope you are going to stay on a bit. F. is in a gap waiting for his proof sheets with nothing to do, w. is always trying—

I enclose a note from Sara w. I don't want back. Since then W^m has found it too warm—& looked up an old water cure cripple friend he used to like. R. is gone to Cheltenham to see the Jukes— yours my dear G. | E. D

U. Eras. has been so vexed by the destruction of the bust of Carlyle by some accident of M^rs Pearce. It was absolutely broken to little bits & is quite an irreparable loss.

F. has sent £10 to the Carlyle fund m against the grain entirely to please Eras—