From Emma Darwin to G. H. Darwin 11 August [1895]

My dear George

I am very glad you are going to Bassett— I think you will find them both brisk— Hen— & R. talk of being here on the 20^th   She is v. anxious to meet you all here, so when you know will you let her know, as if you did not come so soon she might squeeze out 2 days w. Laura.

I need not say how glad we sh^d be to have the children sooner, if Maud sh^d wish to have them (or some of them) out of the way—

The ch. are v. happy & Eras. eats heartily & enjoys things & looks well— They go to Ab. on Thursday— I shall like talking over Franks affair of the Prof. ship w. you   I am sorry & glad. But I trust there is no danger of a 3^rd who might cut them both out— Ellen is v. nice about it— many persons who w^d do a generous thing themselves cannot quite sympathize in it in another. Horace is half way about it too. He thinks that Franks' slowness & indecision w^d make the business part of the Prof. v. irksome & leave him little time for his own pursuits— Also I think he is rich enough—but I sh^d enjoy the honour of it

Lady Derby brought Lady Holloway. She looks sadly altered. Leonard came in wh. was a great help as I can't tackle 2 people & I could not hear either of them.

Did I tell you that L. is bracketted w. an ex minister (M^r [Heneage]) as 2 of the first who are to be offered seats— Godfrey found the people at Birm. thinking very highly of him— I am glad to hear of Gwenny's drawing— Bessy is most zealous too—

yours my dear G. & Maud & chicks—

Bassett is capital for the Bicycle & W^m has taken to it also—

Bee gets on well w. the bicycle, wh. is exercise for L. also