From Emma Darwin to H. E. Litchfield [28 January 1882]

Dearest H.

I was surprized & relieved when U. Harry came to find that A. Fanny had so entirely recovered from that horrid attack, that he had not heard a word of it, & she had gone to Clapham, & sat up quite late the evening before. I had felt somewhat out of patience with the glumness of these 2 girls & when Ella came (much alarmed at first) & talked frankly & pleasantly, I found I had not been unjust to them, she was so utterly different, indeed she is a very pleasant girl. The word game rather failed as Frank gobbles up every thing w. bad players, so they ended with giving words, in w. Hetty was sharp—

The 3 are gone to play Lawn tennis on the new court today. I have been talking w. Louisa about educational matters & I see that she will not like to give up Miss Farrer for rather feeble reasons, one is that the girls may not walk about alone; however she considers her an excellent teacher for the young. I have offered to give Jessie a year at the College which I hope she will have energy enough to wish to have, but I don't feel sure— Louisa is m. troubled about money for the present, as she has had to rebuild the farm house entirely, besides repairing cottages & fences, every thing having gone to rack & ruin— It is such a charmingly pretty place, that she longs to live there eventually. U. Harry is pleasant & cheerful & made us all laugh by his plan of buying a wine pig—skin at Aosta to put his luggage in, it would never be stolen. Poor little Weenie! I don't wonder that she fell sick— I am disappted at Laura having so many drawbacks—

Louisa did not feel up to the party, wh. was as well, as it was so crowded Fr. had to stand— It was v. amusing on the pattern of John Parry— Sara went off not in v. good

F is just finishing his micro. work w. tires him much—

The Dyers & Bill Marshall come on Sat 7^th & Leslie Stephen & his Sunday tramps on Sunday to lunch— It will be v. nice to have you on the Sat— My best love to H. & Ida— I hope you found her down stairs

yours my dear