From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [7 or 14 November 1859]

My dear William

Here is an eventful letter of George, but I dare say M^r P's bark is worse than his bite.

We are all rather dismal  Your father keeps so very unwell with boils & can't stir a step without great pain, & Etty has fallen back again. I expect that we shall go in a fortnight to Shrewsbury. The other day the children had a charming evening at the Estab. A gent. gave a comic lecture on mummies (2 of the maids dressed up) & did it uncommonly well & afterwards they had a mock ideotic game called the wild beach shew in which all the ladies yelled & barked & roared like mad.

Yesterday mor^g was bright & fine & I took the children a nice walk to the perpendicular broken side of the hill with oaks & fern growing in the rocks. We came on a set of men snaring rabbits & I did not think they w^d approve of our seeing what they were at but they were quite civil.

Goodbye my dear old man. yours E.D