From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield 13 September 1881

My dearest H.

F. has now finished settling about his money matters & will cast

it off his mind— We are enormously rich as you will see by this

paper—& Bessy & I have been recklessly extravagant about bulbs on the

strength of it— I have been trying to make her a little avaricious but

find it quite as hopeless with her as with Frank.

I did my calls yesterday on Mrs Tomkins & Mrs Adcock— They are both

sensible & far less tiresome than any of our other neighbours. Mr Fegan has

been quite ill w. a sunstroke & gone away— He took poor Mrs Ward to see

the body of her poor husband & went in first to arrange it a little if

possible. What a kind thing to do!

We are to have the little Forrests on Thursday— We are boiling over with

schemes about the tennis—court & as soon as they are matured they are

to be broken to F. It is to buy some of the Sales field & join it on to

the orchard & cut out the tennis—court partly in the orchard & partly in

the field. Our great difficulty is hiding the cottages. We must have a

wall— I should like an addition to the grounds on that side as we cannot

have it on this. But very likely the Sales won't sell—

U. Hensleigh is going a ghost hunting to Abbeylands & then to Bournemouth w.

U. Harry.

Margaret Shaen writes rather a sad letter. She had to hasten home from York

on receiving a bad acct of Arthur. He is better again, but they are not

at ease about him— Mr Shaen was unwell at York too— Mrs Mulholland

called on Friday— She had enjoyed York extremely but did not trouble

herself w any of the learning— Johnny went in a solemn spirit to act

audience to any deserted section & as soon as it seemed pretty prosperous

he went somewhere else— Rolfe seems very delicate  He got a sore

throat at York & his only comfort was bicycling up & down the passages.

Amy came home w. him instead of taking him to Ireland & he is to be

very quiet & not exert himself in the least. Bessy is going to call

there today—

Yours my dear | w. best love to R— | E. Darwin

Mrs Pearce is come & I must go & do a bit of friendship  The 2 little boys are gone home.