From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin 13 June [1890]

My dear William

We are just off for Down— George having thro' Tom Farrer got the train to stop at Bromley to let us out— Tomorrow we shall I hope be joined by G. & Maud & the children

We have had a visit of 3 days from M^r Dyer & Harriet, & a nice young cousin— They were easy guests as they only took one meal in the house— M^r Gardiner undertook them & they did 50 things every day— I don't like M^r Dyer, at least as far as one does not like a man of whom you can't hear a single word he says— & Harriet is a narrow friendly little soul—

Newnham Grange has been upside down with the Du Puy family. M^r & M^rs dined w. us on Monday— I like him as there is something very sweet in his countenance She is a good soul, not the least like a lady & talking as ceaselessly as Susan Horner. I joined the party after dinner & felt perfectly moithered by $\frac{1}{2}$ an hour, & soon adjourned to cards— Carry has not improved in manner since she was at Newnham & is very noisy. They join parties today in London with son & son-in-law wives and children & spend a week at a fashionable hotel, & then go to the house (I believe M^r Vernon Harcourts in the I. of Wight)— The eldest d. M^rs Spenser comes for about 5 weeks & will return w. Herbert Du Puy who cannot leave his business any longer— George does his duty like a man & is longing for the quiet of Down—

Hen sees a good deal of the Sedgwicks & attempts to make M^rs S. take more precautions in her management (e. g She used to take her bath without her maid & was utterly exhausted by it.) She bears her suffering state w. wonderful patients & cheerfulness—

The little girls are a g^t pleasure to Hen— Gracie the excellent elder sister ruled w. a rod of iron by the more lively & clever Susie. Horace & Ida return next week from Abinger—Sir T. sprained his ancle which has detained him in bed at Bry S^qr. till yesterday when he was to join them. They are bad letter writers at least very lazy ones, so I don't know how H. is. He has his meals alone— Godfrey & Hope & Laura are in the house— Can you conceive Sir T.s folly in intending to speechify in Hyde Park on the licensing question— Luckily his sprained ancle interfered.

The other day he took the chair at a [van] Home Rule meeting at Abinger—

In the course of it an Irishman from Belfast made such an effective speech against Home Rule that he made a g^t impression, especially on Effie—

How any one can care enough about this very mild licensing measure so as to make such a fuss against it I can't imagine, except as an arm against Go^vt The weather is turning very wet & I am afraid we shall arrive at Dow in the rain—

Now I must get up & out of Mathesons way—

So Goodbye my dear W—

with my best love to Sara | y^rs E. D—