From Emma Darwin to H. E. Darwin [13 April 1868]

Dearest H.

Your Thursday's put off came all right & Lenny seems to take it philosophically. It really is very wise of you to stay. ( I shd ask for a fire without any scruple in the mg.) How very odd not to offer it. It is a very good thing too that you can have another ride on Peggy. I am for buying. We shall never know so much of any other pony. On Thursday Papa had to walk home from Leves Green leading Tommy step by step he having cast a shoe & what was worse a nail remained in the hoof which Papa c^d not pull out so he c^d not help hurting himself a good deal. However he is none the worse precious creature.

On Friday Lady Lub. & Amy called driving herself without a servt in the pony carriage. She was so oddly dressed for the season in a white muslin de laine & a thin scarlet shawl. Amy is grown so pretty, I put on my strong specs to stare comfortably as she was playing with the kitten. She will be a perfect beauty. Lady L. is setting up a Lady's Club in London, by way of a house of call for lunch. or waiting &c. But it w^d be no use to me, having my 2 clubs in Q. A. & Chester P. Papa adored her as usual. She told us Mr Horsman asked her whether Sir John w^d not hold the plate for the subscrip for the organ & she said ""Oh she was sure he w^d be delighted to do 10""—but she found he w^d not do it for the world so had to eat her words.

Lizzie went a walk with Anne in Sir John's woods. Every thing is so pretty. Anne was telling her how Parslow snubbed her for saying she liked autumn better than spring, saying he was sure she had been reading ""some sentimental bosh written by a woman."" so Anne said ""Well Longfellow says so & he is not a woman""— Kitten is low & dull today but purrs & eats so she can't be ill. She was trod upon yesterday but W^m thinks only on the foot & she ate her dinner directly after eagerly, but she certainly is not in her usual spirits. Dandy is naughtier than ever & turned round a dozen times between this & the village. We are thinking of putting him in the hands of a breaker if we hear a good acct of him. Polly Os. is recovering I am sorry to say. Lizzy has been very industrious but not very well & she is taking iron. I have some thoughts of rushing over for 2 nights to L. H. P. now Papa is so brisk. I sh^d like to come Wed. or Thursday. Find out if any thing is going to happen & bring me the name of the Inn at Ockley; so that I may write straight there. I sh^d very much enjoy a sight of Caroline & all of them so see how the land lies.

M^r Wilson called Wed. & was agreeable. He had gathered 280 leaves since that time.

Goodbye my dear. I feel rather flat you are not coming. | E. D.