From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield [2 September 1873]

My dearest Body

You are now in high luck to see such very amusing & interesting people up there, for I think when you see people in foreign parts you get m. more intimate with them than in England. I am ashamed of the English about their pilgrimage, & especially of Manning publishing ""plenary indulgence"" for it— F. has recovered remarkably quickly & went to the sand walk today & did a little work. Dr Clarke has not sent the dietary yet & we are rather trembling as to how strict it will be. George had an awful difficulty in making him take his fee, which tho' generous was a mistake on his part & I wish that I had undertaken it, but I tho^t he w^d have taken it as a matter of course. We had Dr [Willy] to meet him in order to have advice if the illness continued as Dr C. is going away, but we shall not want him I trust at present.

Frank is come today v. jolly & happy & is going to be v. hard at work doing up somebody else's arrears. Lucy is come over for 2 days to see the Langtons & Bessy returns w. her to L. H. P.

I am disappointed that you are not brisker yet, but you were v. m. done up when u left home. Our weather for a week has been detestable. It is provoking to see Ed– returned worse than he went and w. a cold. I think it was rash advice of Dr C. When he saw Ed. here on Sat he said why did not u return? But to go to Scotland & mind rain is out of the question. Lena walked to Orp. & went to London on Sunday mg. to see Miss Wergman. She has brought a sweet puppy from Scotland w. is never out of her arms. She meant it for Alice, but it has taken such a passion for her that she will never part with it. Dr C. talked about G. & said ""now is the most difficult part of his cure— he must forget himself & avoid introspection""— all very wise and true— but inconsistent to the last degree with his giving him that pamphlet on his own case— George takes quite long walks & is quite a different person.

John Lewis has finished his globe & made a capital job of it. Geo. has been hard at work finishing it up to send to Gen. Strachey. I heard from Miss Thorley v. prosperous w. the children & liking them m. She says George is now got at ease w. her. He was very constrained & silent at first. Jane announced her marriage to me today to a gamekeeper near Cirencester. She will be a loss, but I expect Esther will take her place. I make C. Buxton's quite mu Bible at present. He hits so many small nails on the head that suit my feelings and opinions so exactly, & I think he is so very acute, & sometimes a little cynical to my surprize.

I found Geo a great comfort to consult with & settle things when I felt uneasy about F. He is so zealous & puts his whole mind to what you tell him. Leo. has offered to go as Photog w the exped to New Zealand. I feel rather flat. One is so awfully used to N. Z.

Just got yr letter. If we had felt alarmed at the probability of any near danger we w^d have sent for you dearest body— But I never feared any thing but a possible illness & other vague fears w. I have now lost.

The weather is so bad it must tell on the harvest.