From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [4 May 1877]

My dear William

Geo. sent on your letter. It puts one in a rage all that stopping up of beautiful things in Scotland It w^d make me out of temper to live there.

I am glad that we are coming to you early in the summer, as it is clear that you want a real rest & it will be more wholesome for you to have us than to be alone, tho' not so good as going off yourself— It will not be till the latter half of June however I think. We had a sharp frost last night & when the sun goes in it is bitter.

We expect Hensleigh & F today, till Monday. I always feel nowadays that he finds every thing so flat & uninteresting except spiritualism that his company is not of the old easy comfortable character it used to be— I am very frantic about the Eastern war & I believe if we had not had a traitor in the camp like Dizzy & a half hearted man like Derby it would never have taken place but the Turks w^d have succombed—

I am very sorry Gladstone is to be left in the lurch. The Telegraph is working heart & soul to drag us into the war—

We have an offer of £28 for the horse, who is rather lame, but I think now the grass season is coming on we had better turn him regularly out & take our chance— If you have any opinion on the matter tell me. F. is pretty well & has got his proof sheets. Fr is soon going to Kew— Baby is turning into a little Hottentot & has learnt the cleverest way of clicking w. his tongue which he feels to be v— clever.

I think we shall bring him to Basset when we come, as we shall have discarded the nurse

yours | E D