From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield [9 December 1878]

Dearest H.

We have just seen the departure of our guests & it has all been pleasant— Yesterday was so fine, that what with lawn tennis, going to church, (where they heard Mr Innes preach on Science & Religion) sitting in the veranda & going a walk to get primroses the day was well filled up— We quite liked Miss Balfour she is clever & spirited & quite willing to be sociable with us all as well as w. F. Carry's music helped us in the evg. & was admired by Mr Crawley— Rachel enjoyed herself in a quiet way & has quite lost any over vivacity if she ever had any— Leo. came forward like a hero & made himself very pleasant to her— Now we have the Innes's to do which feels very soon after last year— I don’t know what will happen about the Snow affair but certainly nothing for some time. U. Hensleigh has written to At Eliz. a note putting the objections to A. living at Q.A. so v. strongly, & especially the risk of making them more disunited & independant of each other, & of her getting to despise him. All this applies as much to their spending 6 months there, as I suppose they did last winter; but I don't suppose he w^d have had the power to stop it at the time. They will I conclude keep their house & some arr. be made for Snow whenever they come to Q.A—

Caroline was q. enraptured w. the playing of Papini & thought him q. equal to Joachim— H. Franke took her down to tea & she seemed m—pleased w. him— I am afraid Cicely ⁠⟨⁠had⁠⟩⁠ not done any thing civil to him yet at least she had not a few days ago, when Carry observed to her what a nice looking man he was & she answered she hardly knew as she had not seen him since the Wagner time—

yours my dear | E.D