From Emily Thorley to H. E. Darwin [1864]

My dear Henrietta,

It seems a long time since I wrote to you but I can't remember how long. Please do say in yr next how you mama is; in yr last one she was so far from well. I am sorry to hear Horace does not get on very fast poor little man.

What a gap Lenny must have left in the house. Thank Lizzy for her nice letter, & say I will write to her as soon as ever I have got any thing to say.

We are going (all three of us) to yr Aunt Fanny's on Saturday for a singing practice. We shall set to work at 8 o'clock. Now I wish the Fates will deem that you should be in town that day!

Have you seen Holman Hunt's ""Light of the World""? In some respects I like it much better than Christ in the Temple, which I remember you have seen. I think I have never seen such eyes on canvas (in the former I mean). I declare you cd almost imagine there must be a soul to give them such expression & life. The whole picture is such a beautiful allegory—not the smallest object in the work but has a symbolic meaning. It is just by now, but will appear again at the Grt. Exhibition.

I should think your cousin Geoffrey had made an excellent choice of wife. I feel to know her pretty well, for we had a good talk together at Barlaston. By the way I met Holman Hunt the other night, & am sorry to tell that he talks vulgarly. His countenance has a very good expression, but it did not strike me that there was that intellect & refinedness in it that I looked for.

You asked me how I liked that Sonata of Beethoven ""Les adieux, C'abena & le retour"". To say that I liked it is much weaker langague than I mean to use—I declare some parts of it transported me to sixth if not the seventh heaven some glorious bits seemed actually to force one to smile. I sh^d. like you to get well acquainted with that passage, I think it is l'absence leading to le retour,& on through that movement— if you don't like it I believe my name is not Emily. But I cannot write you half what I think of it. What a little darling Quiz must be— how you will all love him. I am trying to learn ""Adelaide""— with what success time will tell. I sent this biting weather.

Your's ever affectly | Emily Thorley

I hope you have not wanted yr Moliere— I am afraid I'm keeping it too long. The very weeek before we were to have acted ""Le Bourgeois gentilhomme"" two of our best actors lost near relations, so it is put off till the Spring. We had good fun at the rehearsal.