From Fanny Allen to H. E. Darwin 8 December [1870]

I must send you a barren letter my dear Henrietta, except of love, to thank you for your most pleasant letter of last week—a visit from you, would give me pure joy—whenever the time comes that you have leisure—& that you have an inclination to come, fills me with gratitude, & even some surprise, as age is not attractive,—as the old song? goes ""crabed age & youth &c""—- & yet I am checked by the recollection of the reception & pleasant time (too short) that I passed at Down this autumn— There is a thin layer of snow on the ground this morning, which makes me think with some longing, that we could have such a climate as George is now enjoying, I trust he is enjoying it— I expect that the result, of the examinations, will again ""cover you all with glory"" & I don't expect it will do your Saxon minds the harm that ""la gloire"" has done to poor France— I can scarcely bear to read her disasters, & it makes me hate the Germans, who are walowing in her slaughter— Oh that a Chassepot could hit Bismarck!— I was glad to see a kindly notice of Snows book in the ill natured ""Saturday."" I cannot guess whether it has been for the advantage of Snow's Wesley that another life of him is come out at the same time—as far as the ""Saturday"" goes it has not [swampded] her's— having finished Lord Palmerston & M^r Huxley nearly, I shall go on, with Julia's Wesley, which I have not touched for several days, something owing to the nasty type, & abominable tinted paper! When you write a book avoid these 2 things or I shall not be able to read you which w^d grieve me sadly— I don't mind your tinted letter paper, so my battery is not against that— I hope you are successfully helping the Great Man, out of his thorny brake, & are drilling his contingencies into rank & file order—it is a great privilege, as well as honor to be the Lion's aid, (not Jackal)— Jessie has been two days with me this week, while Cassy has passed it, with the Charles Allens  I think her spirits are (outwardly) returned to their usual cheerfulness— She read out the newspapers to me in the evening after some backgammon fights, & also we had Lord Salisbury Article in the Q^u a very poor thing, that will do him little credit—showing again a hoof of his personal animosity against Gladestone & few will share his love of the Emperor, & his empire— I am surprised, also, as you, at Snow's ""low view"" of the Eastern Q now happily settled, she has been led astray, as Lord Palmerston says, so many are, by analogies, I believe I should be with her as to private engagements, that is between man & woman which stands on a different foorting to that of all others— because the fulfilment, might cause the misery of the two— Francis Horner who was called ""Cato"" by his intimates, maintained that that engagement should also be considered inviolate—but between Nation & Nation I should have thought, no one could have doubted—

I heard from Julia Smith yesterday—she says she was persuaded partly by her family & partly also by her recollection of a bad cold caught last winter, not to come down to see poor [Patey] laid in the Grave, but she intends to make the journey by & bye & I hope she will come to me— How rich I shall be with visitors this winter  Eliz^th certainly comes after Christmas & if your visit should also fall in sometime I shall have a gala winter—but I shall not choose your time— perhaps April may the best time for you for me all times will be equally good, if it brings me you— so God bless you my dear Henrietta  ""My Harry"" is at the Cardiff Assizes, & I expect him the latter end of this week, or the beginning of next, he may probably not return to town till the first days of January— This information is for Eliz^th—

My warmest of loves, for the ""beloved Emma"", whom you have the pleasure of calling mother & to your Daddy respectfully & love to Bessy, & success to your Italian Class.

Affectionately your's | Fra^s. Allen—