From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [29 April 1887]

My dear William

Your passage seems to have been tolerable, but I have got to think all sea voyages, even across the channel, very horried things. We are all assembled at Cam. now. Horace & Ida make the most difference to my life—

They came home by Abinger picking up the children there— Ida said it was almost pathetic to see how fond Effie is of Nora— She w^d do the wheeling of the peram. herself— Rasmus is come home in the most virtuous state of of politeness & propriety, & Effie is under the delusion that they are v. obedient. It must do her good (mentally) to be so fond of them. She even says that Nora is as nice as [Phy]. Ernest & M^rs Webster are come home from their singular tour. It was he who insisted on taking the little girl & maid w. them. Effie believes that it is a case of friendship & that they will not marry—

Poor M^r Crofts returned to his boarding house yesterday.

He was a good deal cheered by visits from the D^r here. but very impatient to go back—

He takes little turns out of doors & looks at the newspaper & never does any thing else—

I like my tall man, & in spite of his height, I hope to hold my own, as he is timid & mild—

I am sorry to hear that Jackson is not going to stay in his place— I suppose he is not up to it.

Bessy has been to K. Sqr. w. Bernard, taking him to the play (a sentimental melo drama v. good for him) & to the Tower. He came home full of news & gave me a long account of both— He is very happy in his holidays w. about 6 schoolfellows, who come to play cricket— They look to be nice boys; but it is awkward later on to be intimate w. the class below you; & Frank means to send him to school in a year or so— I should be very much obliged if you or Sara would let Pearce come & see one of you. It would please her so much & give her £1 from me as a little present.

You might tell her with truth that life in England is hard— D^r & M^rs Gray have just been at the Hookers, & are now gone on the continent. Lady H. says they both look as young as ever—

I had a long talk w. M^rs Myers & thought her nice in spite of being a goose— They have lately been at Paris, seeing a good deal of M. Renan, a man I have a gt aversion for—He gave M^r Myers a long lecture on [phsychical] subjects saying he had never attended to the subject; but he c^d shatter it at once if he put his mind to it.

The state of the theatres at Paris seems horrid— She & M^r Myers invited a set of young undergards— to dine & go to the play w. them, & found it so disgusting they had to come away— It was a ballet acted by man dressed as women—

Also the highly moral Francais has a play running, which is thought the pink of morality & the subject is a charming young married woman taking the greatest pains to make her husband & every one else believe her guilty. How I long to see the closure put in practice & this endless talk finished up—

Miss Balfour told Bessy (she met her at the Grange) that it was wonderful to see Gladstones attention & devotion to the Irish Speakers & the way he applauded them. What is thought about Parnell's letter? Punch knows wh. way the wind blows, & his cartoon of Parnell's not venturing to take up the glove is v. suggestive. She also said that the language of the Irish when making a row was so intensely bad that it protected them from being brought to book, as nobody liked to notice it— It has continued v. cold— but yesterday was bright & pleasant my best love to my dear Sara— I hope you are picking yourself up—

I am not at all pleased at the disappearance of your double chin. Remember me to the Aunts & Theo. | yours my dear W | E Darwin