From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield [22 April 1878?]

Dearest H—

They are not gone to Canterbury after all— Bessy has a decided cold & looks bad & as the weather is so cold & Leo & Theo can both manage to put it off till Thursday, so it is to be. I believe the day is going to be provokingly fine but it wd have been too dismal for B. to be laid up after she got there—

D^r Moore & Theo made v— good fun together, & the quantity of learning he gave her about Canterbury was wonderful. I think Leo— was rather glad to have it put off & he went off w. D^r Moore— Theo—took it quite easily & says it does not the least signify where she is or when she goes any where— She was to have gone to Basset on Thursday & now she will go on Sat. & prob. Leo with her. They went to R—bourne yesterday (Fr & D^r Moore) & found Elinor there & M^rs B. C. down stairs wonderfully well— They met Lord Derby walking & were quite struck with his looking so fresh & well— He must rejoice at being out of that mess. Then they went to Hayes to see if they c^d get into the house in memory of Lord Chatham— After looking about some time & seeing nobody a flock of guinea fowls flew at them w. such a noise that it brought out a young man, I suppose M^r Wilson's secretary & he very civilly took them all over the house & gave them one of Mr Wilson's cards of programme for his young ladies which he had photoed. They walked about & the emus rushed at them  Dr M. offered one a penny as suitable food & said ""Boomerang"" but he did not seem to be understood. They have cheered up G— much & he hopes to go to Cam. tomorrow.

Dr M. examined Bernard & to my surprize says he is slightly ricketty, so he has begun cod liver oil & does not mind it. His wrists are not quite right either & he is not to be encouraged to walk out of doors. He says it is the commonest thing in the world, to this slight degree, & especially w. fat children— He does not care about his having more meat, but wishes more milk, & finer farinaceous food than the gruel— We are much taken w. your plan of the bells only don't let them be expensive, & does it require no skill to play?

We like the American only the fine analysis of motive & feeling is often too obscure to understand—

Talking of that is the article on Origin & Colour in the Spec. by Snow? We got $\frac{3}{4}$ thro' it before we found out how fatiguing it was—

yours my dear | E. D

Dr Moore spoke v. comf about R—

Think of my forgetting a piece of gossip of Miss Aitken, which she heard lately—viz. that D^r Moore is engaged to a Miss Smith niece of M^me Bodichon, a tall handsome girl of 17—her family disapprove so m. that they are not to meet till she is of age—

His appearance is one of the objections!

Bessy saw her once so no doubt you have—