From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [25 January 1885]

My dear William

I will lock up the letters & carefully keep them—- I agree with you that they are admirable, & whether the religious part of the Auto— is published or not I think they should be published. His state of uncertainty as to any positive believe seems to me to be better shewn than in the longer Auto—

I will in a few days send you my copy of that part, in which I have marked what strikes me as inconclusive or narrow— & I shall like to know your impression of the whole, as to whether it is altogether worthy of the powers of his mind in the argumentative part— Any how I should wish that his conclusions were made public— Leo & Bee came down to the Orchard yesterday & will dine here today— They have both dreadful colds— I think Bee is far From Easy about Col Fraser, & one must feel great alarm for the small forces both those advancing & those left behind—

It is pleasant to see Bernard come home from school so full of enjoyment— His lessons hitherto have been very easy— it must be said. The head master attends very much to this little class. He seems to be very engaging & also young which is an advantage. I keep quiet within doors this frosty weather which those who walk briskly find very pleasant—

We have the stove in working order & it warms the back premises so much that I have the door at the top of the backstairs open opposite my rooms to warm all that platform—

Yours my dear W ED