From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [6 November 1862]

My dear William

I think it is quite clear that we shall not see you till Xmas. I am glad the poor Atherleys are going to leave Heathfield it will be something to occupy her. We were expect Camilla all Tuesday & at 12 o'clock at night Hen. who was awake heard a fly drive to the door & then to her surprize nothing further took place & the fly drove off so she came & waked us up & then Anne tried in vain to wake James & send him down at last poor Miss L. & her boxes were found in the yard as she did not like rousing the house with the door bell. Her plan of not disturbing the house did not answer very well. The next day I had to tell her that Lizzy & Horace were going to school & it was a terrible blow to her poor thing. She has had a sad visit at home as I am afraid the family are in great poverty & she has advanced her whole salary for them. Horace sticks to her very much but not in that fidgetty way. He does his lessons very well. We were thinking of sending Lizzy to school so as to get a month of it before the holidays. She is very stout hearted about it & is learning to mend stockings &c. Hen. is not quite up to her mark as she is languid & stomachy all morng. very like you are in the afternoons. She gets brisk about 12. I am going to Cumberland P. on Sat. & I shall find Mackintosh still there I suppose he is going to Algiers. Emily Thorley will return with me to London & also Brodie I believe. Your father has arranged with M^r Engle to get a regular sanitory D^r to come here & regularly inspect the house & sewers & every thing beloning to the circumstances of the house by way of satisfaction tho' we don't think it likely any thing can be wrong in this chalk soil. Your father has been very much interested in Max. Muller's book on language. Has M^rs Pratt let her rooms?

Yours my dear old man | E. D. At Eliz. tenant came down with all her furniture found the house damp (as any empty house w^d be this time of the year.) jibbed altogether had her furniture all sent back & will have nothing more to say to it. It will be quite good for Uncle Charles who is alone at Hartfield to fight the old lady & he snuffs the scent of the battle like a war horse here is his letter.