From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield [c. 7 December 1878]

Dearest H—

I feel v m out of tune for our visitors. It seems by Arthurs v. feeling letter w. I have to send on to Hope that she was confined this day fortnight & went on well for 3 days— Bessy is taking it down to At Eliz. & I will copy it if there is time.

Louisa says that poor Uncle H. was dreadfully overcome at first but then was sleeping in his chair. Jenny was the only bright spot in all his family. What horrible weather–-I am sadly disappted about Leo— Fr. was in London [symbol for yesterday] about his Diagrams w. he found excellent. he brought a green picku and a yellow one w. gave immense satisfaction. The other day I gave him a bit of one of your concert papers to draw on when he told me it was a ""Nanna Meek"".

Sir John & the [Spottes] come to lunch—tomorrow; so I am glad we asked them.

The dawdling people have not fixed their train w. caused me to write 2 more notes & made me cross & fix 4.12 for them.

Yours my dear | E. D—

I am sorry we shall not have you on the 14^th. I asked the Lyells for 2 separate times but they can come for neither so now I shall let them alone till April or so.

I think they shd have seen whether you wd like to join but I don't see any harm in taking your name as you are not getting your living by it—

They were uneasy about M^rs Nash but now she is all right—

I shall go into mourning because of Arthur & Rowland—

B. does not think of the ball & I doubt whether she has spirits eno' to enjoy a ball without dancing

Part of Arthur's letter to Aunt T—

""She was confined last Sat. week, & seemed to be going on well till the Tuesday after, when a good deal of feverishness set in, & the D^rs feared some internal inflamm. From that time she fluctuated v. m. till the day before yesterday, when severe bronchitis appeared & she had not strength to resist it— — — — —

It seems to sad & strange to realise— Poor Ralph is v. calm & seems to think of every one but himself— He has m. to distract his thoughts now, but I can't bear to think of what the loss will be to him & his children—

Personally, I have lost one whose love was an increasing joy to me every year—& to which I looked forward much for the future— It is a great comfort to me that she was loved by all here—