From Emma Darwin to G. H. Darwin [13–20 October 1885]

My dear George

Thank you & Maud very much for your kind thought of receiving me at once— I was very anxious for two days, but I was relieved by finding that D^r Allfrey tho' very careful was not anxious, & did not doubt that he should hit the right nail on the head about food, which I think he has done—viz. Swiss milk supplemented by tiny doses of Cod liver oil & a few drops of cream in her bottle— She still looks sadly small in the cheeks & big in the eyes; but she is always placid & comf. & ready to be amused—

Bessy will prob. go to the Grove on Monday chiefly to relieve the Orchard of Dubba, as he will have been some time on their hands.

We shall be almost all here on Sat. & W^m comes but not Sara—

It is sad not to hear Gwenullems cheerful squeaks about the passage— She looked like a pretty Dutch picture in her newly quilled cap when she went away— I miss her visits v. m.

The Litches are at Spa on their way home. R. has been unusually plagued with headaches so that Carlsbad has not answered to him— Leonard & Bee came on Sat. He is quite well in spite of his lame leg—& tol. satisfied w. results, but says he ought to have had a month's practise of instruments beforehand

Those tiresome letters in the Times were written by Lockyer, & by his request Leo. added a sentence or 2 but not the one about D^r Huggins wh. Leo was vexed to see—

Yours my dear | G.

thank Maud for her pleasant letter— I am sorry for the y. lady but she had better not have apologized.