From Emma Darwin to H. E. Darwin [25 March 1870]

My dearest Body

I did not go to Southm after all after the P. F., as I was headachy;; & whether I have written since I can't make out. It is quite as well, as now I shall have somebody else to blame & not myself, but I was sorry to give up the lark, going with George too. W^m crossed on Tuesday a horrible cold stormy day & we have had a fresh winter set in ever since. Mr. Lyell & Ros came early on Wed. so we sat to out work till lunch & pretended they had been here ever so long. Alice came to dinner & we were quite agreeable. The next day we drove over to Ravens & Kath went in alone to M^rs B. C. which made it pleasanter for us. Alice & El. were v. pleasant. E. told me that Gerard M. has grown v. nice since he came from India, & she likes him the best of the brothers. He behaved v. handsomely (too handsomely F. says) & spoke first to M^rs H. Norman & said he put it into her hands whether he sh^d go on or not & she took a little time to consider but felt it to be taking too much on herself to stop it in any way. though she has a g^t horror of their going to India, & she said in her note to me that she tried to think of it as little as she c^d. Ella & Aug. had felt the Normans to be such complete brothers that it came like a clap of thunder on them.

El. told me to tell you that she did not think she c^d do any thing about the Marshalls, but she w^d send you a letter to M^r Harrison. I like K. Lyell tho' she is so impervious to a joke. But she is on the right side of every thing & admires the people I do. It is a pity that she puts so much emphasis on what she says that she makes it flat. Rosamond is rather poorly & she looked peaked & narrow like the Colonel & not pretty now but is a nice child & ready to talk, Bessy said in her walks. M^rs L v. nice to Bessy & asked her to visit them. Today B. is gone to L. H. P. & tho' frosty & cold I think it may do for walking. M^rs L & Rosamond to Orpington. She is taking 2 dozen Miss Meek papers with her like a good woman. I thought at first she w^d not so much about it, but she soon got zealous. Ellen is at Lady Rich & looking dreadfully ill & shaken Effie says. Effie & the Halls have been at Oxford again having great fun at Mr. Sidgwicks. I don't know whether Prof. Leeley has any intentions but he quite bothered her into going to Ox. again. Old M^r Erskine is dead, so I daresay Snow is glad she went however unwelcome she was. I wrote to ask the Kempsons to some next week, when we sh^d be a small party before the boys; but she says she has to be perfectly quiet w. her feet up & it is out of the question. She writes very graciously & nicely & says Rowly is coming to her soon & will be a great comfort & that his letters have been a g^t pleasure— Polly is v. big but more comf. than she was. She sleeps in the pantry as it may happen any night. Write when you get the M.S.