From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield [22 September 1877]

My dearest H—

Here is a letter from Hope—how c^d the dead letter office learn to connect ""Hope"" of Dilhorne with Down. (by studying the letter I suppose—no easy matter in that short hand)—

Whenever I am uncomf. I think of you at Lucerne instead of up in the cold empty hotel— Now we shall long to know how

R. was the day after. Leo is calling for crutches so I expect we shall soon have him home.

No news from W^m—but I think he has written. Effie writes a nice affect letter about you &R she says ""Hope is enjoying a vis. from Father & At Eliz. & says they make such a comf. party— She has [askt] Snow to join them, but she declines cheerfully, as she is actually going to Linlathen for a week's visit—

This is a beaut. cold bright day for Geo at Tanhurst & Fr at Portmouth to see off the A. Rucks—

We had a call from the Reeds *P [symbol for yesterday] *Q & for 10 ^m.^ I did not discover that Mrs R. was outside w. the pony carriage. It was a blunder of Henry. However she perceived how it was & came in— It was odd her being the one to stay outside

Another poor grandchild is turning dropsical after the scarlet fever. Mr Reed is the only person I ever heard speak well of Col. Lennard & he said he was very apt to repent & make up after his bad tempers. He seemed to think the clergyman at W. Wickham was also v. irritable & that there need have been no quarrel— —

Just got yr Wed. letter from Engel. w. is m. the best acct we have had—

Leo comes home on Monday.