From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [12 March 1859]

My dear Willy

George came yesterday & you may imagine his devotion to the billiard table. Papa thinks he will play well. "Train up a child" &c. All his spare time he devotes to knuckle bones so that he is not intellectual just now.

Uncle Harry & Louisa came on Thursday & we half expect John & Godfrey today. John failed in his exam. he is now with a French military tutor in the neighbourhood of London, where the lads all younger than himself spend all their time in smoking & smuggle in spirits. Luckily he does not stay long in this nice place. I suppose the rage for rowing will be a little past now you have had such a triumph. Remember that it is possible to damage one's inside by over exertion in rowing.

I forget whether I told you of old M^rs Innes's sudden & easy death, without any illness. She was buried at Hythe. We had good M^r Austin on Sunday  a very odd reader & preacher, sometimes 10 miles an hour & then equally slow & very apt to forget how his sentence ends when he begins upon it.

Miss Pugh seems to be with the kindest people possible, but is very melancholy poor soul as she always will be. M^rs G. is on her good behaviour but talks too much when she comes down stairs so that she is tiresome. I expect we shall rub on pretty well now. She laughs so much that I feel my face getting quite rigidly grave

Goodbye my dear old man | Easter is coming | Yours E. D.

Saturday