From W. E. Darwin to Emma Darwin 30 July [1890]

My dear Mother,

I have heard from Frank as to the cost of supervising the printing of the Botanical Index. Frank George & I think that Father would have liked to have paid this additional cost, & one does not like the idea of Sir Joseph's having to hunt up subscriptions at his age. It will cost (giving a margin in case of accidents) £150 for four years from June 1891. If you approve will you write to Sir Joseph saying that you will pay him him £150 in quarterly or half yearly instalments for 4 years from June 1891, or if you will send me a post card I will write to him as Father's executor. Frank like a queer fellow does not say a word about Ellen, so that I hope it means that she is better.

The two girls are here, & we have every evening some capital music, it is a great pity that Sally with her capacity will not practise at all. Next week they go to the Nixes, & you will see me on August the 7th I hope. If you have room for Sara she perhaps may be able to come also, but she is in the agony of cook-hunting, if one turns up she feels she must be here. Our dear Grayer is going in a week, & we have been searching for a successor for the last two months, but in vain. The registry office old lady told me two days ago that she did not know what was coming to cook, & that she knew of many ladies who had no cooks and could not get them.

We are thinking of getting Mrs Cutting as a stop gap, but Grayer says she is too old & shaky, & it would be risky to have her standing over the fire.

Goodbye, dear Mother, it will be very nice staying with you for a few days, unluckily it cannot be more than four or five days, as H. Senior is in Scotland, & I do not like to leave young H. for more that that time; his wife is going capitally after her confinement, she went out driving 16 days after the child was born.

Sara's best love to you & to Bessy | Your affect. son, W E Darwin