From Emma Darwin to Sara Darwin [24 January 1878]

My dear Sara

It was a great pleasure to us both to receive your dear affectionate note & Mr Darwin sends you his love. It is a real happiness to think that you adopt us as something near & dear to you—

Give my love to the Dragon.

I am glad to hear of her ferocity & hope she will be stern to the end. In London it so often happens that one returns home done up & then somebody calls to finish you— If you give orders before hand there can be no incivility in it, & then you have not the temptation & worry of thinking ""Oh I sh^d just like to see such a one"". You quite won Uncle Frank's heart the other day—

Poor Uncle Harry is depressed & shuts himself up in silence. It is rather sad to remember him full of spirits & so fresh & amusing. Yesterday was beautiful as I suppose even Theodora wd allow— We have had a card from Frank. The hospitable clergyman detained them to sleep on Monday & Tuesday & accompanied them to the excavations. He had made notes & observations on the very subject with Sir R. Murchison & had never come to any conclusion about the sinking so that he is quite interested in the matter.

I think Theodora will be quite tame with us when she finds herself here unprotected by you, & we shall endeavour to treat her with every disrespect.

Yours my dear Sara | E. D—

Bessy will send you annals of Cambridge