From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin 19 January 1880

My dear William

F. was astounded when he found the magnificent coat on his table on Sat—& much affected at all of your kind thought  Frank had written a v. nice note joining you & Sara & all of you— He is longing for it to be cold enough to walk out in it, & I think he will have his wish today. Our young party leave us this mg. They are not exactly engaging but perfectly amiable & well—mannered & never ennuied. They took to riding the donkey in the field yesterday & I am sorry I did not think of it before. Louisa & Bessy & Jessie are at Bry. St for 3 days. It is very wholesome for Bernard being with these children & I think he takes his share & gives up just like the others. Frank gives his lecture on Climbing Plants next Sunday at S^t G. Hall. F. has read it over, & thinks it so good that it will be a pity not to print it. & proposes to send it to Nat. Science Rev. I am so glad when Frank has spirit & energy enough to make him succeed in any thing.

Bessy has had a heavy cold for some weeks & I expect the change of coming to you will do her good, as a change often does, with a lingering cold.

Frank was at the School Committee, & they had a stormy ending— They superseded Mr Ff. in the office of Chairman & appointed Mr Forrest. It is far better that the Chairman should not be a permanency; without any slur on the going out man; but Mr Ff. went into a rage & went off, slamming the door. I don't wonder at his being mortified; but a man w. a grain of sense wd have concealed it.

I rather hope George will not now go to Davos— Mr M'Clennan's brother is there so that he wd not be wanted. We were puzzled by a tel. from him to Geo. yesterday saying ""Bring good Cocoa nibs & Coffee Beans"" which seems as if they still expected him— We got Geo's tel. in good time this mg. Do you feel that M^lle Rave has pushed you on a little. I hope Geo's presence did not paralyse your efforts.

The last accounts of U. Jos. make me think that he will recover this time; but I am afraid that his state of health must be permanently lowered.

Mr & Mrs Horace do not fatigue themselves with writing but I think they are still at Penzance—

yours my dear W & S. | E.D

Did you read Lord Derby on Penny Banks— It was excellent