From Emma Darwin to G. H. Darwin [22 July 1881]

My dear George

We were very pleasant on Sat & Sunday. M^rs Lushington is a jewel & kept F. in a state of admiration at her pleasantness & graciousness & amusingness. The only drawback was dear Old Vernon, who is a great bore (ask Ida) & never followed the conversation but broke into it—

Miss North & her beautiful drawings were here & she sat in open–mouthed adoration of M^rs Lush. & her playing & her beauty—"She is more beautiful than ever".

M^r Collier is finishing today & I think it is a great success— I want the family to get him to make a copy or replica of it— Maidie is a wonderful contrast to M^rs Lush— She is so dead & indifferent that it almost amounts to incivility & she is not even nice to him—

They drove over to the Spottiswoodes yesterday ev^g w. was a blessing & we got rid of her for an ev^g. & today they are going.

We had the school feast w. great success—

Bessy was in a g^t state of fierceness & almost resolved to call her M^rs Collier; & then at dinner she w^d take the trouble to talk a little pleasantly which mollified us— She is like a person blazé who has no spirit left—

Jack is very nice & I think finds no fault possible in her— I did not ask her to sing as I thought I should have to be too civil & I only aim at being civil enough to deceive him—

Poor Parslow is quite calm & likes seeing people—

Ward the fly driver ws horribly smashed on the Railway last week—but of course killed at once—

Frank I hope comes on Thursday next & the Farrers on the Friday. The Ida's stay a little more than a fortnight I am glad to say— I have asked Miss Gladstone for the 6^th

Hen. called on M^rs Whitmore & heard but a bad acct of M^rs M'L. She finds it difficult to set about the M. S.

Yours my dear George | E. D–

The wind has changed & it is trying to rain— We want it dreadfully

Did you have extraordinary darkness & cold on Wed. mg—Like a London fog