From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin 2 January [1883]

My dear William

I have not many of your father's letters & so it came upon me like a fresh treasure to receive one I had forgotten. I shall like very much to see some of his to you—

It was pleasant too to be put in mind of that lovely bank where I had walked with him more than once & seen the green woodpecker—

I have so often had things brought into my mind that I had quite forgotten by reading old letters. I am very glad Marg^t enjoyed her visit— It is such a pleasant quality to have the power of enjoyment & admiration. I mean pleasant for the outsiders, of course it is pleasant for the person herself— Mr Marshall comes today & I can talk to him about the sculler question; but I don't so much mind now I know that there is another door to the dining room, so that we may close & green baize that one if we like & have the dinner brought round, as they used to do at Shrewsbury— George goes to London tomorrow for a few days & he has been working so hard at Indian tides that I am sure he is better. I remember the question I wanted to ask you viz whether I had better have £1000 put into the bank here— Jackson says the tradesman have not the least objection to my London cheques, so I doubt whether it is worth while. You see I never want to pay any thing into a bank— Another warm day. I drove out a little bit to see John's wife & found her very well after her confinemt. Ida was helping Mrs Jackson (not our Mrs J.) to entertain what Frank calls her ruffians viz her night school—& at 9^.^o'clock she & Mrs Jackson came down to borrow B's game of Fishponds— They had found it so popular & had only one Fishpond. I never saw any one enjoy life more than Ida. & the degree of sociability she gets here & also feeling herself so much liked.

Tell Sara I shall want to know how she likes her new paragon—

We can't find her nail scissors. I hope she was not as m. attached to them as I am to mine. We have the means of learning about the girls school at S—ton thro Alice B.C—as she had a young cousin there—if ever Sara sh^d turn her mind that way— School has the merit of drilling a young girl in outside matters with no irritation 

Yours my dear W^m w. best love to Sara | E.D—

Just rec^d Sara. I am grieved about Mrs Atherley. The world is full of griefs (by way of a new observation) 

I am just going out in bright sunshine