From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield [28 September? 1879]

Dearest H—

Yesterday came D^r Moore & Crawley. D^r M. uncommonly pleasant & C. v. sleepy & Fr—w. some neuralgia. I hope we shall have Horace tomorrow— Geo. has gone to Cam—& has given up going to the M'Clennans w. as he has his brother & is r. better I am glad of—Sir John L—called yesterday & looked v. m. out of spirits. Lady L—is better & has ""not so m. pain"" w. is an odd expression if she is really recovering.

He said the Drs were puzzled by her illness, but did not consider it pleurisy but something to do w. the liver— They still hope to have the ball—w. will be a mistake in point of taste. Mrs Hoole called w. her second little girl such a figure—black silk stockings above her knees & a pocket straight in front—a little calico cap to match her dress— I c^d not help thinking of her legs all the time, she seemed all legs—& the comical thing was that Mrs Hoole spoke with some severity of the Miss Ffs long white legs climbing the trees.

The J. Innes are at Milton Brodie but they & the father are like buckets in a well—when they arrive he goes deer stalking & when he returns they do Ditto— But all the neighbours have been v. friendly & Mrs H. thinks it will be all smooth soon—

B—has had 3 rides & likes it as yet— But it will not be for v. long I guess—

Driving a coach continues as vigorously as ever—& drawing soldiers—

I quite enjoy the thoughts of my gardening when it will not be all on my own shoulders— I mean to get some carnations among other nice things Sleigh talks of propagating as the easiest thing in the world to any extent—

I have not got any news about Leo's visit to the Shaens—& I don't believe I shall—yours my dear | E—D