From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [14 January 1878]

My dear William

Bessy & I were beginning to think that marriage had disagreed with your pen, when your pleasant account of things puts us in good temper.

You were evidently dazzled with the appearance of both your ladies— I don't think Theo. will much care for balls if round dances do not suit her. On the other hand Sara's disposition seems more dissipated than you expected. Horace seems to have been v. happy with you & says Sara makes a ""delightful hostess"" tho' she does not look strictly after his diet—

George had a perfect passage on Friday night & v. cold journey & stayed all day at Paris on Sat. & said he was better—-

I am sorry we bothered you about changing the day for Galumpus— In fact any day wd do now we only have to fetch him from Orpington, & unless we hear to the contrary we shall send tomorrow mg—

We go to No 6 Q.A—on Thursday as I am sorry to find R. is not well again. I am afraid it is some slight mischief remaining from his attack.

We attended a Xmas Tree & feast at the school given by the Lubbocks— Harriet L working in a most business like way & arranging it capitally. Sir John gave the toys calling up each child by name & it was done in a cold ungenial sort of way—tho' it might have been difficult to find a pleasant work for more than 100 children.

Bessy goes tomorrow to Mrs Whitmore's to go w. her to a conversazione of the school of science at Bromley, where are pictures & objects of curiosity & Alice wanted us to send Ouless' picture but F. c^d not stand exhibiting himself in that way— In the evening Mr Teesdale gives a lecture which I shall in Eliz. Bath chair.

Yours dear W^m—

with love to the sisters—

I never heard any thing so awful as the number of callers they must come from far—

Sara will have to make a catalogue of [them] with personal observations or she will never disentangle them—