From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield 14 January 1881

Dearest H—

Business first—

Waldemar gets £50 [pr] an. Arthur did have £35 

Clara is the only one at home she is I shd think 13 

I am very much vexed at Waldemar's untruthfulness. I did not read his letter, having opened it before I perceived who it was from. Some years ago he wrote me a letter so exaggerated & unlike himself that I was convinced it was a copy set him by his father. He is very foolish (as I know from other proofs but at his age now I sh^d not think he could be so weak as that. I suppose it is possible that his mother may have fallen ill since his last letter to R. I am so much obliged to R. & sorry for the disagreeable bother he has undertaken.

F. has been so very unwell & uncomf with eczema— It makes him feel so irritable. I hope he will be tol. for the Romanes tomorrow (& the Teesdales.) His nights have been so bad— I am disappted at Leo having still so m. fever— I hope D^r Moore will let him come here as soon as he can move— I have no doubt this was beginning at Coniston, & it was almost a mercy it was not found out while he was there, it w^d have been so horrid his being detained there.

F. did give Fr a slight wipe about not being [explicit] about Bern. & my being so uneasy— It seemed q. a surprize to him & F. thinks made some impression.

Do you hear any thing of poor Rowland. He came up to London to consult Critchett for a sudden dimness of sight & it seems to be serious  I have had such a Carolinian letter from Carry—by herself at Cheltenham, which she [dislike] more every time she returns. They have taken another house w a ""hideous paper"" in the drawing room, fancy her caring about that & she is very dreary by herself. I don't know whether she meant me to invite her but I have not done so, not that I shd mind her coming— U. Harry—all the rest are at B—mouth  The Collier's don't come—

Here is Jack's note—shall we say that if Maidie feels well eno' we hope they still will. I am asking Charles Fox—

Bessy is gone down to give her shillings & 6^d for the essays on humanity—

They are all nicely done but little enough about humanity in them— It was so difficult to judge that she had to give pretty nearly all the 6^d—

yours my dear—

I am v. sorry to hear of your headaches again— Please tell R. that F. would like much to see the Sat. Rev— | E. D

If I heard Rowly had returned to Cheltenham I shd not invite C. at present

yes I did admire Lord Hartington also Mr Plunket & also the end of Shaw Lefevre calling things by their right names—