From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [c. March 1852]

My dear Willy

Papa & I were delighted with your tremendous long letter & I don't wonder it made your fingers ache. It told us just what we wanted to know & began so regularly from the beginning. I shall not be able to write you such a long one, for we have gone on so quietly there is very little to tell you. I think M^r Mayor must be a good natured man to take so much pains to make you comfortable at first. Papa said school was a very different thing when he was at Shrewsbury school & nobody would troubled themselves as to a boy's sitting at dinner or sleeping at night.

M^rs Morrey has been very unwell last week & Mr Morgan has been to see her several times & bled her in the side. She is better now & gets up. Georgy is more crazy about drawing than ever & makes little picture books for Franky & Lizzy which I buy from him to give them, but he draws such a number that he does not take pains & so does not improve. D^r & M^rs Hooker do not come as he is too busy, but I hope the Chester Terrace folks & Aunt Eliz. will come tomorrow all the same. Poor Wasp was sent back to his master & came back again by himself one night, but Parslow took him back again. It was lucky you had that large trunk as it will be more handy to keep your clothes in than a portmanteau would have been. I shall tell aunt Susan about the poor little sweeper as she will be interested in it. I hope he will not be so foolish as to be enticed away again. Give my love to Erny & with Papa's love to you

I am my dear Willy | your affectionate mother | E. D.

I never understood about the studies till I saw your plan.

We shall be very anxious to hear where you are placed. When you write to M^r Wharton do not write a very short letter as that does not seem friendly, but tell him about your study & being with Erny &c. & send your love or kind remembrances to M^rs Wharton.

I know know whether you have got your M^rs Markham's England but if you want it we will send it by post.