From Emma Darwin to H. E. Darwin [1868 or 1869]

My dear Body

I have not the least doubt that you will be m. jolliess for having Elinor. Lenny quite thought so & they all feel quite tame w. her except perhaps W^m. I think they may feel all the more at ease about your amusing yourselves if you are 2 together. Lenny walked over from Keston Mark about 12 yesterday. He had enjoyed his athletics both at Woolwich and Sandwich (Ruck won the pole jump). Sandwich is such a v. pretty place it made him envious. They had a special train to take them there. beautiful woods & 2 lakes @ | He wanted a lady for the Woolwich festivities. I sh^d like to have gone & I will try to manage it next year. A commission had been inspecting Woolwich & a Lond de Roi (he thinks) asked Lenny how he liked the 3 o'clock dinner, so he said he c^d never eat it, which I hope may help to alter the idiotic arrangements. We are to have Ruck & Spitta on Sat. (You will be at home I conclude) He liked his day at Dr Spitta's & saw a good deal of Cunningham. He will be at Cam. on the 22nd & hopes to stay till Tuesday as there are cricket matches between W. & Tand going on at that time W. he thinks he can leave.

I have the Woods & went to afternoon church & heard a particularly useless sermon about evil spirits. However he gives me the impression of sincerity. Polly is rather corrupt. (she was whipped 2 or 3 times on Sat yesterday was good) She is so fond of Parslow she will go to the pantry & has slept there the 2 last nights because the cob (on trial) is in Tommy's stable. The cob proves a regular little cart horse with [end missing]