From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield [17 September 1871]

My dearest Body

This is laze & not poorliness w. makes me write this way–- I was very glad indeed to get your 2^nd of the 13^th I am so glad you are going to behave as if you had been really ill & F. begs leave to return you some of the good advice w. w. you sometimes favour him—not to think that a short rest will do anything for you. I am glad to hear of your liking milk, it sounds very like convalescence. I think you rather enjoyed R's headache. (nothing marries one so completely as sickness) Horace enjoyed his lark to London. He started B. from Euston w. an old lady inside & recommended her to a charming guard & then spent all the rest of the day at the Internat. I have never seen him so well– & he does eat–we are quite tired of looking at him. He works hard in the mgs & is now at the Greek Test.—

M^r Powell v. good naturedly hunted all the village for lodging for Miss Isitt, & nobody will have her but M^rs Martin, they all say that they do not like to undertake a young lady they require so m. attendence. But that is an affair of money so I don't despair of their changing their minds F. is going to prepare some straightforward dictation for her so that he may not be too m. frightened. We send for her to Croydon [the symbol for tomorrow]. Her last M^rs is a late M^rs Jesse (late Miss Tennyson who was to have married Arthur Hallam) I dare say R. knows her. They live at Sutton. Hope has had some threatenings of her old enemy & is still at Q. A. F F. is looming in the distance for the 1^st Oct. She will be done before you come back however. Lenny has been going over the Joch pass & the Aletsch glacier, sleeping at a hut 10,000 ft above the sea. I suppose boys enjoy such things, but I sh^d have thought it horrid such a piercing high wind he c^d not stop a minute to look about him.

He had 2 guides & finds it too expensive a job to do again.

Metal kettle is come & as pretty as the other & m. m. useful. you can pour out of it quite well. I am taking to some of the St. Beuve Causeries & find them very pleasant, especially anything about the time of Louis XIV always amuses me. I thought Horace w^d be a little dull with so few at home but he is very nice & sweet & walks & rides vigorously & nearly smashed himself on that horrid phantom. He took the dogs on v. long walks & he gave a little education to Bran & made him learn to come when he is called.

We had to put Miss Isitt into No 4 for the present. After a time I shall turn her out and shall make it nice & comf. for you.

We are greatly puzzled where to establish her, but I think whichever bedroom we give her as sitting room we must put up a bell from the study. We have many schemes, one is taking $\frac{1}{2}$ of the tool room.

It is milking the pencil that makes this look so ugly. I am going down this mg to see if I can soften any ones heart to take in Miss I. yours my dearest | E.D. I am afraid poor Elinor is not a bit better. M^r & Sibella called. Sibella never knows when to have done with anything. She got upon St. Moritz & was quite endless. Now nobody can say that of me.