From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [8? June 1858]

My dear William

I came here with all the children on Saturday leaving poor Papa at home (as he was too busy with bees cells to endure to come & since then he has been laid up with a bad boil which is provoking now he is by himself.

It sems Aunt Cath. will not go her tour till the 2^nd week in July so that you will come home after Cambridge which I think will be very pleasant & much handier for your clothes &c. I should like you to be here some time in the summer it is so beautiful & you might find such pretty things to draw. The weather is quite enchanting

There was a large party of children here yesterday. Two little girls with such lovely black eyes & so merry & pretty. Etty could not join in the games, but she is about very much with the girls & enjoys it very much & they carry about a kitten with them asleep in their shawls. Etty's cat has a kitten very like herself & Etty goes & sits with them for half an hour at a time. Only think how bold Papa has become  he hived a swarm of bees all himself. He & Mr Innes go about wonderful figures in their bee dresses with white net veils on their hats.

Good bye my dear old man. | yours | E. D.