From Fanny Allen to H. E. Darwin 8 January [1869]

Though I have, but little to say, I cannot resist telling you, my dear Henrietta, the pleasure you have given me by your affectionate letter, & still more for the week you gave me of your very pleasant society—The two ladies, & their maids, must be far on their way to Cannes now, thinking, what a warm atmosphere they have got into, yet they have left spring weather & spring flowers behind them, untimeley as these are! for I have no doubt winter will come sometime this winter, & cut off their pretty blossoms. The yellow crocuses now swarm in the 2 beds before the windows–-the air however is misty & the sunshines from under a veil, & I dare say, they have a pure clear blue in their heaven—I have no chance of having my Harry with me after sessioins, as I had a note from him yesterday, saying, the law tide had set in in full force & he had not time to write, but a few scanty lines—he & Isabella came to me Sunday the day after you left & Isabella seemingly enjoying the prospect of her move. Harry, like you, tried in the evening to make me a convert to your, beloved Tennyson with no great (recall), either of you. I am going on with my reading of Shakespeare's historical plays, & yesterday I came on the murder of Humphrey Duke of Gloster & the death of Beaufork, & Tennyson's ""bland & mild"" Shakespeare, grated like gravel between my teeth—one, who could so measure such a genius,has no wings to soar into the higher regions of poetry, he must content himself to write such things as ""Lockley Hale""— On Monday, I had the two little boys from Cresseley as visitors & they staid till yesterday when Johnny 13 took Newton back to his school at Malvern—& he returns to me to night. They are very good children, & not the least troublesome & very attentive to me if they could do anything for me. They appeared to enjoy themselves here & I was glad to have them—Lady Cath^e. was here for a day, but was obliged to return yesterday, to the Architect who is to put Cresseley in proper order & raise it ""up to the mark"" as Lord Portsmouth told Kitty. I have written to ask Harry & Jessie to come here next week for a few days—the latter continues, I hear very uncomfortable with her eyes.—& Harry was obliged to perform chaperon to the girls for their Williamson visit (the Scoarfields) which was a deadly dull one, I hear, two reports have dome to me respecting Jenny, I was asked by one, if she were not going to marry a M^r Clark, a very fat man, & another person asked me, if she were not going to marry M^r. Stokes, the son of the admiral & your father's former acquaintance no truth in either I guess— What a spirited woman Eliz^th., is to think of a concert the night before a long journey as she expected!— I wish she may find Edmund pretty well, but I did not think her account in her letter to me, so satisfactory, as she herself considered it, a cough from the throat, may be of the greatest consequence—

Jenny is just come in from M^r. Brooks where she & Caroline are, for the ball of last night, which they said was a bad one, Julia is come, and Jenny went out so no more my very dear little Henrietta from your affectionate Aunt. very old just now— F Allen

You will not forget my best of love to my dear Emma & to your father—