From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [12 October 1858]

My dear William

You are just settling yourself & looking about you. You must send us a slight & bold sketch of your room & furniture. Yesterday Miss Norman & Fred. called bringing a note of invite to dinner or luncheon which I accepted for the latter & I mean to take Lizzy as little Mary is at home. Papa admires Miss N. very much, which I do not   she smiles too constantly & a smile is never a sweet one that is constant

Franky has been twice to M^r Reeds & he seems quite bold about it. Jones has ridden there with him & he has come back alone. Etty goes to L.H.P. tomorrow & comes home next week. She says she is taken for 18 so she is dreadfully old. I am going to look over M^r Ainstie's furniture when I can be quite sure he is away  it will save us much trouble if we find some of it to suit. His sale is on the 15^th. Clement is going with his father to Paris to be settled there for some time. The Barlaston girls are very full of their ball on the 21^st & are to have no fogies but what are absolutely unavoidable.

The grey mare behaves very well even at the Railway.

Goodbye my dear old man. I expect you will like Cambridge more after you have been some time than you do at first. | Yours E.D.

M^r Wilson seems quite sorry to lose you