From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield [3 May 1881]

Dearest H—

We will send him up by the 2.50. He does not want any more boots; but I think another pr of the thickish shoes that you got for him w^d be a good thing. I got all the wisdom I c^d about soldiers from Marianne; but she did not know the exact time—she thinks they come down Regent St at 10—& that the open space near Buckingham Palace is the best place to see them keeping clear of the crowd & being there I suppose at 10.30.

The parting today was much worse than I expected. He was q. cheerful sticking constantly to Fr. till just the time when he began crying violently & clinging to him & he had to be quite forced from poor Fr. who I expected to see crying too, but he escaped that. Then he came & sat on my lap looking at the little Birthday book crying & lamenting a good deal w—intervals of asking about the pictures in a cheerful voice till he gradually eased himself off & after another half hour of pictures & stories from Bessy, he came up cheerfully for his chocolate & went to tea with Nanna & she came up & put him to bed—

Dickson became so ill w. violent pain that I was afraid it was the heart. Dr E. however is confident that it is not & does not think it any thing serious.

Marianne says she used to go down Bond St to see the soldiers; but that was when Regent St was shut up— I saw some of them going down by Hanover Sq. the other day— Mr Innes was pleasant, & got very sleepy in the evg—& went off by the 11.27—

yours my dear—E D

B. is quite cheerful today talking of what he shall shew Dadda.

yours my dear.