From Emma Darwin to W. E. Darwin [3 March 1888?]

. . . Today we shall have the Leonards. It is months since I have seen Bee— & I hope she is really better. Hen. is nice & well— She stays till Monday the 5^th & within a week she goes to Kreuznach. I hope Sara wil pluck up courage to go there to meet her people. It is rather hard upon grown ups; but I believe one has a more passionate wish to see children again—

"Matheson is reading to me a little Scotch story after the pattern of "the Humble Romance". She reads it capitally & enjoys it. Marion Hughes that Hensleigh was carried down quite comf. & smiling & enjoyed his luncheon downstairs— What a blessing a calm nature is—

I believe At C. was never carried down in all those years without being in a state of fright.

I hope you have your typewriter. I want Sara to be utterly idle—

yours my dear William. | E. D—

Snow returns this mg— & Hope goes to Idlerocks— Godfrey writes to me about smoke— the ovens in the potteries are more hopeless than the boilers, as the fires have to be lighted from cold materials. However he will give something to the Committee . . .