From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield [9 October 1881]

Dearest H.

Just a line till breakfast time. We had a telegram from Mrs Ruck on Thursday just when Fr & Bernard were to start, saying that a case of scarlet fever had appeared in the village. So they put off going till they cd hear more particulars, & though Mrs Ruck's letter the next day only told of this one case, she evidently had such a dread of his coming that Fr settled against taking B. for that reason & had to break it to B. that he was going without him— He cried v. m. for a little while & then set to about his new pictures of soldiers (bro^t by William) & as it seemed to me exaggerated his own cheerfulness & cried no more. Fr had told him that he should probably send for him in a few days— Very oddly B. does not like the thoughts of going to Aberdovey & says that he hopes the scarlet fever may be very bad that he may not have to go—

I don't know what will happen. Your account was very nice of your doings at Pisa & At F. quite enjoyed hearing it (w. judicious skipping about Hope.) What dreadful idiots the Italians are about restoration. At F quite remembered the beaut. monument— We had such a bothering day yesterday it almost killed me— Just as we were expecting the Harrisons & D^r Micklejohn (at 11) came a letter from Dr Billing an American wanting to come today—this botheration of settling trains that wd not suit q. did up F. however he cheered up & quite liked D^r M. Then the 2 gents went to wash their hands. It had struck me, ""now somebody may forget that Lucy belongs to them"", when F. made a most unlucky speech about Leo. coming from duty to meet the Harrisons. Bessy's horror you may imagine— I said something about his coming to meet Arthur & Ernest & we all (but Bessy) looked effusively cheerful & at our ease— This did up the day for Bessy & me, but F. was not aware how bad his speech was— Then I found the gents wd have stayed all p. m. if invited but it wd have simply killed F. so I wd not do it. He had 1$\frac{1}{2}$s talk w. them. The day was dismal beyond express steady rain. At Fanny & H. were jewels in sitting talking all p. m. I went away— Never mind noticing this fiasco as I did not tell F. how it had knocked me up. We had a nice little vis. from W^m after depositing Sara. at No 6— He had been to see the electric Exhib. at Paris & found it most interesting. Also a play—but the journey from Genoa knocked up Sara, so you mind. They went on *P [symbol for yesterday] *Q to Cam— We will seize an opp. to invite the H's again moderately soon but not too empressé— I don't think F. knew he had used the word duty w. was the sting & I did not enlighten him— I am sure however that B & I minded it 10 times as m. as modest Lucy  I am glad to find from Ernest that Lord Kimberley has not the least thoughts of giving way about the transvaal.

You shd read Gladstone's philippic about Parnell it is a fine sky rocket from a man of 72—(at Leeds)—

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

I think you have done wonders to keep so well.