From Emma Darwin to G. H. Darwin 5 July [1884]

My dear George

It was pleasant to get your prosperous letter of the 21^st at Sandy Hook. The enforced idleness & peace of the voyage must have been very wholesome for you— We are having a regular blazing summer like 68 they say, tho' I can't remember that year particularly. They have dawdled about the hay & it has all run to seed— It might be stacked almost as soon as cut— We have however only observed 76^o, wh. is too hot for me even to go under the lime tree, till 8 o'clock when we sit out till 10 or so— Your next letter will be deeply interesting & I shall hope to hear that you have left Phil. & in fact that you are on your wedding tour. I send Frank's account of his visit to Sachs— He will never again feel uneasy on Sachs acct— I should like to have it again as Frank's letters are always worth keeping. Bernard writes me word that Oncul Atty has caut an eal— I believe it is the only fish they have caught as the river is dry.

This place feels very charming & free over the quiet fields. Horace & Ida are gone to Malvern to D^r Rayner's. & Ras. & Ruth are here— very happy on the lawn— They talk of only a fortnight but that will be too short a time to judge—

Laura has been here for nearly a fortnight after the bustle of letting her house. She finds it very resting, but has settled to go to Miss Thorntons on the 21^st wh. won't be half so good for her. Her brother William came to spend 3 days with her— He is pleasant & merry & the height of politeness & obligingness— He went up to Laura's room to tell her that I had 2 fat women with me & that he was sure I wanted help— so she came down. I suppose he thought on such a hot day the fatness was a great addition opportunity of having him to herself. She took him a lark to London to see sights & eat ices & hear bands at the Health Exhib. I gather that Horace is better, but Ida is not good at writing. F. & Ellen & B. are now at Aberdovey, & they will send B. to pay us a visit on his own hook— F. thinks he must stay at home & work. They find the change into the Grove very pleasant after the confinement of No 80. Public affairs are very interesting. If Parnell & Co succeed in turning out the Ministry, I think their reason must be that they think this present Gov^t is likely to succed in pacifying Ireland & that they have more chance of stirring up mischief under the Cons

This place feels very charming especially the liberty of the fields & valleys— It seems like getting back to your father again. Bessy is visiting Mary Hancock at Clifton & comes home on Monday   Laura was here to receive me, made the house pretty w. flowers. I always miss poor Polly's reception, & I must get a little dog.

There has been almost no rain for two months I believe; but our tanks are full— Lettington & the dormouse have kept every thing in good order. Their style of working strikes one as a contrast to Bourne's. I shall do some village civility this summer; but we cannot amalgamate them as there are quarrels & looking down on each other—

I hope M^rs Jebb will have got over the voyage in a short time. Please give my best love to her & to Maude—

yours my dear George | E. Darwin

M^r Wright brought over his pretty baby to shew me. I think you were lucky in y^r fellow passenger, in spite of the horrid women who seem always present on a voyage.