From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield 19 January 1880

Dearest Hen—

What an utter absurdity it is that you & Hope sh^d have every thing connected w. the marriage as a forbidden subject; but I have no doubt there is some deeply sure point in her mind, which it is hopeless to attempt to soften.

Where is Laura? I want to write to her. George came home yesterday w. so m. cold in the throat & chest that we were in hopes he wd not go; but he had a letter from Mrs M.L. wishing so v. much for him & saying she fears the effect of the disappt on M'L—if he gives it up that, as he is decidedly better today he means to go tomorrow, & has sent Jackson to London to buy cocoa nibs & coffee! & brandy!! I suppose they are all 3 fidgets of M.L. He will sleep a night at Paris & leave an address so that if we heard of the death tomorrow we mt follow him w. a tel. Mrs M.' says that he is in good spirits & I shd not think he was near death. G. was v. poorly at Basset but enjoyed M^lle Rave who read every evening capitally & they all talked even William; but it all tired Sara to an extraordinary degree. M^lle. went on Sat. F. has been two walks in his fur coat & q. enjoys it in this weather; but says that 2 turns at the sand walk with it is equal to 3 without which is rather an immoral notion. Poor Uncle Harry melted my heart by saying how very much he had enjoyed his visit here. We quite like Baker's Cyprus, partly because I have a fancy for an island, & it is interesting to think what we can make of it— The endless remains of acqueducts & buildings shew what prosperity might do for it. It is the one good thing the ministry have done. Baker says the people are so kind & obliging & whenever they passed thro' a village sprinkled them w. sweet water  I am glad B. c^d take Pearce it makes it more comf. altogether. The play seems to have been a gt success— I hope your message to Frank did not mean that you expected him at Bry today— I did not understand it so & he is going to dine w. Crawley—

Therm. 22—last night & I don't mean to go out. tho' I did enjoy a little walk 2 days ago. in the bright sun—

Yours my dear with love to Richard | E.D—