From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield [11 June 1877]

Dearest Hen—

I fully expected a letter from Cologne today; but I think it must be in the pocket of a rogue of a waiter at the hotel there. The weather gets more & more lovely & it is a pleasure to look out.

on Sat. evg. Leo. came & was v. comf. & pleasant & found Sophy m. more talkable than he expected. We sat out & loitered & did the same yesterday— Caroline was especially unwell after a v. bad night which are very frequent with her; but at 5 o'clock came the Roland W's & she sat with them under the trees talking for more than 2 hours & did not seem tired by it, which shews that she has the same constitution as her father, who c^d talk the whole day without being tired.

F. was made v. happy by finding 2 very old stones at the bottom of the field & he has now got a man at work digging for the worms— I must go & take him an umbrella— Leo. went off last night— I think he q. liked his visit—

At Caroline is so ambitious for him that she thinks it a gt pity he should settle down to such humdrum work as his present employment; but I don't agree with her. I think however, I have no ambition in my nature. It w^d not have given me much pleasure G. being a rising lawyer, except as fulfilling his wishes. You see D^r H. is Sir Joseph now—

I wish he was not Joseph Coffee chose to go off yesterday evening & as he is lame it caused some surprize however he came in before bed time— I hope the poor souls here have given Tell B. I have paid Miss Schau only £4—£5 for all those lessons & I wrote a civil note.—

Snow's account of At F. gives me a strong idea of how ill she still is- –- She has Isaac & Marian to sit up with her every night & 2 maids in the day, & she requires constant change of posture & has great discomfort. Snow went back from Eliz this mg. & I hope Eliz will take this opp. of having a visit from Amy while Fr is away.

Two extraordinary facts today— Lucy missed her train at Lydenham & telegraphed to say so—tho' I must add, it was to the servant w. the carriage—

Goodbye my dears | E.D

F has had gt sport w the stones, but I tho^t he w^d have a sunstroke- –-

up their weary sermon there was none last night.