From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield [30 April 1878]

Dearest H—

Yesterday was a great contrast in point of weather & I was quite content to stay in till 4 when we took a short walk in the rain in Mrs Bullar's wood—

Poor George found out such a misfortune, that he had made a mistake in copying a formula so long ago as Nov. which has vitiated all the arithmetic since that time & he will have to do it again, & he thinks he can't get any help in the matter. It does not shake his general conclusions but just makes it not correct enough to publish— I' must say he has borne it heroically & even thinks he may get some good out of it by doing it again, possibly in a difft manner— He is but poorly but the pain in his face w. plagued him so for 2 days he has left him—

F. escaped his sinking fit yesterday mg. & is brisk. W^m took me & B. to common, but I must have told you—the gorse was the most gorgeous thing I ever saw. W^m is very full of meetings this week & goes today to open a new ""Trade school"" which they have established on a useless old foundation which has been diverted form its original purpose Trade school is not a good name, it ought to be called technical school as it teaches chemistry & art objects. W^m has been chiefly at the bottom of it. I think he is a wonderful man & if Sara does $\frac{1}{2}$ as m. in her way as he does they will be most useful— Mr Cowper Temple is to come & W^m has to make a speech but quite on a business point of view. I am glad Theo. leaves you today I am sure you want rest— She certainly seems a weak person— Let old Horace see this & tell him we want to know how he gets on— Burn the enclosed— It must be g^t fun taking Bernard to a new place—

yours my dear E. D

I feel now as if things here had been so for years— Sara still feels it a liberty to sit at the top of the table