From Emma Darwin to G. H. Darwin 18 September [1882]

My dear George

I was afraid your Irish visit had proved not worth while— It was not Irish enough for one thing— It is a pity you could not stay longer at Whittinghome which you enjoy so much—

A letter from Leo & B. is on its way to you (dated Sep 2 off St. Vincent. B. was not very well with her head; but getting nearly all right & they had hardly touched their books. They were neither of them sea sick any longer. I am afraid this splendid success in Egypt will give L. a pang that he might have been there; but I think he w^d have been a bad subject for all the Egyptian illnesses, & I don't think we are out of the wood in that respect yet. I have been downstairs & better for 2 days together so that I think I have really turned the corner, & an odd tedious malady it has been, consdering how little unwell I was at the worst—

I have begun teaching Bernard again, which is a thing I miss much; but today I hear he is crying because James is going & does not like to come—

He told me this m^g. to my surprise that he liked James better than Jackson; but the only reason he gave was that James was much taller than Jackson. Miss Smith & Ella came over yesterday to luncheon, & it did very well, the day being quite exquisite.

All our visitors are gone which I am glad of as enabling me to go down stairs without any necessity of talking.

The 2 old brothers go to L. H. P. together today & I hope they will come together here on Friday next, for tho' it is very tiring to talk to 2 deaf people—they make each other so happy that I feel sure they will be comfortable

yours' dear G— | E. D—