From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [17 November 1857]

My dear Willy

Pray thank Mrs Mayor for sending us Mr Temple's testimonials which we return today. They are most remarkable & I wish he had been elected some years ago. We were very much amused with your speech & we should particularly have liked to hear the solemn and pathetic jaws

Papa came home wonderfully well on Thursday. He is going to town today for 3 or 4 days. Etty & I went to call on the Lubbocks yesterday as Miss L. is going to be married to a M^r Birkbeck a very rich man. We only found Mrs L. who is a very nice innocent little woman, Miss L. is to be married early in Dec. & I don't think there will be such a flare up as there was before. Miss Pugh is lame & rides the donkey, but she can't manage him very well. He is very cunning for he is as good as possible with me.

We had Mary Peters to tea & her brother William came to fetch her home. He is so like Jack Lewis only not near so well mannered.

Poor Bullsig has been shot he w^d get in the pigeon houses so it was in vain to keep him. Etty did not much mind & she has hopes of a kitten from Graysy. Poor little Babs is quite jolly now & likes his puddings very much.

Goodbye my dear old man | yours E.D.

I remember about Gregg now very well, but we had forgotten his name.