From W. E. Darwin to Emma Darwin 27 December [1892]

My dear Mother,

Here is a lovely cold christmas day, which will rejoice everybody. We have not heard lately from Cambridge, so that I hope you are going on quite comfortably. Our christmas will be very quiet as we have only young Skipworth here, he a son of my old Cambridge friend is in a Bank in London, & just gets his Sunday out. Last night we had a little dinner party where we had Miss Beadon & her brother, & Mr Rendel, a son of the Mr R. who looked after the Farrers so well at Naples last autumn: he is a very nice fellow, & she is very lucky, they are to be married in Feb, & will live at Newcastle near the Elswick works. It is a blow for Sara as she is the last of her friends here, all the rest are mere acquaintances. We are coming to the Horaces on the 4th, & I hope the Leos may be in Cam. during part of our few days, as we can only stay till the 9th. We asked Caroline to come to us for christmas or the following sunday, but we heard from her that she was laid up at Mrs Wedgwood at something Court. Mlle Wurm has spurred us up to get a new piano & I think we may, as we have had this 17 years, & we mean to her to come & play on it for us some evening.

I have just got a book to read which I shall enjoy A. Milner's "England in Egypt": he was the Financial Secretary, but I did not see him I am sorry to say: I am sure it will be very interesting, but perhaps chiefly after one has been in Egypt.

Good bye, Dear Mother; it will be very nice to see you soon. S. sends her best love.

Your affect. Son | W. E. D.