From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [12 March 1879]

My dear W^m

Bessy & Bernard are just started to meet Frank at Orping at 9^.^30 a. m. so he must have had an unpleasant crossing last night. He tel. from Paris.

You must make Hen shew you Fr. last letter from Blidah which sounds an arid dismal place— He proposes to keep his future accumulations in an eel skin like la mère Fadette, as F. is so much afraid of speculation. Bernard has been spending a day w. Hen. & enjoyed it intensely, to my surprize as I thought he was too young— He called upon all his friends in Q. A. & also on Mrs Shaen who had a fancy to see him, had his hair cut & was photoed in his shimmy; & went to tea w. little Miss Pollock of exactly his own age. At Eliz. sent home Mrs Miles yesterday to see her own people & she is to return in a day or two— She tells me that At Eliz sits up sometimes for 2 hours; but that she requires more support & assistance than she did a week ago. I am afraid she is longing to be at home, & I am sure she must not move for some weeks. We have begun to read aloud ""the Europeans"" a very pleasant contrast to a very painful but powerful novel of Trollope's ""an eye for an eye"" w. we have just finished. Mr James is rather too subtle for my taste & I often have to stop to consider what he means. I can quite fancy I have seen Mr Wentworths house he describes it so well. You must read Lord Blackford article on Zooloo in the 19^th (shall I send it you). He is v. moderate but makes one heartily ashamed of Sir B. Frere & Sir T. Shepstone over ruling the decision of a commission about the possession of land in Zoo loo when it was given in favour of the natives. However Cetewayo is such a wretch I am quite willing that he shd be smashed. Have you got your cow yet? We expect Godfrey & Hope on Monday. I wonder whether she turned out like what Sara fancied. Sara's pleasant letter just come in— I rejoiced in yr fine Sunday [too].

Bessy & Frank just arrived from Orp. He very brown. Bernard was m. excited. He had a v. tol voyage [a] left G. at the M'Lennan s

yours dear W | E. D