Down
Monday
My dear William
Etty & I returned on Friday after a very pleasant ten days & London agreed so well with me after the first few days that if I had staid much longer I cd have gone to as many concerts as Aunt F. I did go to Don Giovanni the men singers excellent [Fornies], [Tamberliss] &c but the women unpleasant. Also I took Lizzy to the play to my beloved Alfred Wigan "A bit of paper" As good in its way as "Still Waters". Lizzy was quite up to it & enjoyed it much & Tim was our squire. I also went to the Royal Acad. which I have not done for many a year. I saw several pictures I should not object to having.
Etty did much the same as at home & went to bed in the middle of the day. She enjoyed it a good deal however especially her talks with Hope. Alfred went to see his ship with his father & mother & they were pleased with the first mate who is invited to the ball. The last day we sat out & enjoyed the lovely day in the little garden quite private. Cumberland P. is a most charming house certainly & I hope they won't be ruined as the coal is going on very well, but then American railways are going on very ill. You will be sorry to hear what a dreadful accident Montagu Lubbock has had. He was just driving out of the gate when the horse kicked & overturned the carriage against the wall & his arm was dreadfully broken in several places with the bone coming out his head hurt so that he was insensible or delirious all night & worst of all his spine is injured I believe. He is said to be rather better today but I am afraid he is still in great danger. I saw Sir John Lubbock at church on Sunday when he was prayed for & he seemed hardly able to speak when I enquired about him.
I think we shall probably set out on Monday the 3rd. I am going to Hartfield for two days on Thursday & shall take the 2 little boys with me which they will think great fun. Now Etty has been so long without sickness I don't mind leaving her & she has a most charming new kitten. She has been lying on the sofa under the lime trees these two charming mornings. G & F. came on Monday. G. was confirmed on Sunday. They stay till tomorrow evg. G. is not very well languid & tired.
Goodbye— I don't think we shall want you to go first this time to take a house
Status: Draft transcription
This transcript was produced as a side-product of the work of the Darwin Correspondence Project and may not have been proofread to the DCP’s usual standards.
Please cite as “FL-0414,” in Ɛpsilon: The Darwin Family Letters Collection accessed on