From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [1 December 1856]

My dear Willy

Will you please send one of your Cooper & Fryer shirt collars directed in an envelope—

to Mrs Langton Hartfield Tunbridge Wells

It is thought that Edmund suffers a good deal about his turn down collars as he carefully hides them on a Sunday, so he is to have new shirts as soon as possible. Poor [Tinky] was not well enough to go to school till Thursday & you see by his letter he thinks we sent him back too soon. Just as he was going to set out his nose began bleeding & we had to put it off for an hour.

Do your holidays begin on the 18^th, because you said the 23^rd to Hemmings. It might be worth while to send you yr skates only I doubt whether your ankle wd stand skating yet. Aunt Eliz. is here now. Etty is better but has lost the good she got at Hastings. I don't know whether I ever told you that Miss Thorley is going to stay at home & not return here. Emily Thorley will stay till after my confinem^t & I think I have heard of a governess who sounds promising. Lizzy has taken to reading for her own amusement so she will soon get on. The sale at Aunt [J.] takes place on Tuesday the 9th & a few days after that I suppose they will go to London. The therm. has been at 24 or 25 these 2 nights. Goodbye my dear old man  your affect

E. D.