Down, | Beckenham, Kent. | Railway Station | Orpington. S.E.R.
My dear William
How dismal this weather is for the harvest Since Sat. such warm rain that the wheat must soon sprout— Uncle Hensleigh is going to Barlaston for a few days & wants not to miss your visit, but it was the 8th was not it? If it was the 31st please do send a tel. as I think he wd like to change.
It is provoking that B. visit to Wales interferes, she would have liked so much to rush down for a few days to Sara— At F. is as well as usual & has q. enjoyed some talks w. Susan Horner who is here for 2 days w. a nice young niece (a Pertz) who is q. as gt a contrast to a Horner as Rosamond Lyell is & I suppose living w. a Horner produced that sort of reaction against bustle & over energy in talking. Susan spent 2 or 3 hours at Ravensbourne yesterday so that I was quite rested from her ceaseless flow— She is so open & friendly & nice all thro! that it is provoking to see her good qualities so over shadowed by ceaseless talk, which tires one oddly—
Fanny who knows every body knows all about Mrs Cleveland who used to be a friend of Mrs Rich's at Rome & was thought so v. pleasant & agreeable. Susan tells me that a Dr Darwin at Florence has invented a medecine w. has a gt effect against sea sickness. She took too strong a dose of it herself & it produced a sort of dazing effect & she went to. sleep directly & did not wake up till the arrival, but some of her party took it in moderation w. good effect— It is sold at Chemists ""Davison's preventive against sea sickness"" He is a Dr of reputation. I quite enjoy sitting w. At F. she is so pleasant & reposing. Here is Ho. acct of himself. There was another letter w. did not tell much only that he was going about w. the Miss B's & wd like a little more liberty for his own affairs, but going also w. Dew Smith & many others that he knew— We think your letter excellent. Dr Moore & his pretty lady walked over from R—bourne yesterday. She is v. engaging & every thing there seems above board & prosperous— My dear love to Sara— yours E . D
I liked my visit at Barlaston. esp. seeing Godfrey & Hope—
One's feelings about Amys tiresomeness increases in geometrical ratio. The first day thinking people unreasonable in minding her the 2nd a little bored & so on to an ungrateful state of impatience. I have got my table set to rights by Jackson & G—& enjoy it—
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-0476,” in Ɛpsilon: The Darwin Family Letters Collection accessed on