From H. E. Darwin to Emma Darwin 27 March [1866]

Dearest Mamy,

I have not very much time today as I've dawdled away my morning as I forgot that the post wd not go out quite late—but what time I have I will give up to working up arrears— I wrote last from Dijon—a long long time ago—then I wrote to George at Arles & told him to forward it to you. The end of our stay was disastrous—there was a dreadful lamb market in front of our inn—& the screams of the lambs make me shudder now. & when we went out into the town to forget it if possible, it began to rain & we got wet & lost our way & altogether Arles was a fiasco— Marseilles we were in a very nice inn & had quite a good time— we went out in the afternoon to some old friends of Miss S.'s Norwich Taylors— You have heard about them I daresay— such a lovely view & flowers out in the garden—& immense stone & umbrella pines & great ilexes— How lovely the pines are— we stopped dinner—& all the Taylor children & grandchildren who have settled in Marseilles came out for their Sunday dinner. I fell to the lot of a mama-in-law who spoke no English & so my fine french had to be aired— Oh! if there were no genders I shdn't mind— One of the little grandchildren didn't eat of every dish (a french dinner) & this old idiot kept on saying—""Mais l'enfant ne mange rien—Prenez cela a Mad^lle Dora—"" & then the little wretch to save trouble took an atom of something she didn't want. You wd never see such management in England wd you?— It wd make D^r. B. J's hair stand permanently on end— I have got mungled in my brain with your two letters & Lizzie's (thank her very much for it & tell her I'll answer it when I'm not writing for dear life) but as far as I understand you aren't going till after Easter when you'll escape M. Parker— Hope says she bears allusions to her marriage without flinching & does not seem to ahve that repugnance to it wh. was generally supposed— I wish I didn't still hear of your head being cruely/creakyQQQQ— My head wd be less mungled Mam' if you'd date your letters— We had quite a lovely sail here. Sea & mountians & foregrounds of pines & olives— One's first taste of southern scenery is very enchanting, & oh! such a colour! such intense blue with green edgings near the shore— On arriving we were received by Miss Verney—a nice looking girl of 22 or so—who had got us nice clean lodgings in a pension facing the sea. I see the Estrelles from my window. The drawback is that the company is tiresome in the extreme—weak flirting with a sickly young man—the other parties being consumptive young ladies—there is but one man so he has hard work—& the railroad passing between us & the sea—but it only signifies for noise—not for looks— I can hardly tell yet how I shall like Cannes— It is rather big—& the lovely lovely sea view is all I know yet. I think there is often a feeling one's first day, that there are no walks which turns out very erroneous—that is rather my feeling— It feels just like a sweet june day—& roses & héveryQQQQ [think] seems out— I hope I shall have good sport in flowers. Please write Poste Restante still, cos we may change— Elinor is too rampant about these people to hear them for more than a few days— I hope I shall find somebody to hook on to for walks. It won't be the [Archer] Clives & it shan't be L. Erskine or the F. Hollands who are here. I hope we shall find M^rs Symonds Catherine North as was, still here & she I daresay wd do something or other with me. If we can get lodgings Miss Verney's side of the town she wd be a great help— The town is 4 miles in length!! much, much, much too big—& I do hope after a week or so we may go on to Mentone— The world seems equally divided as to wh. is the nicest—Cannes or Mentone— Miss V. who comes abroad every winter I believe likes Cannes the best—but the mountains coming so much nearer at Mentone I cannot help thinking must be the most delightful— There are oranges in flower just outside our door—& some in front also—In about a moment I'm going with E. to walk to a garden where Miss V. is sketching & that is why I'm scrabbling away at such a rate— My hand stiffens rapidly so goodye  We are close to the english church—& one of the ladies rushed in upon Elinor this morning before she was up to tell her what time service was—& what time it wd be tomorrow— I guess we shall go every day—I went at Marseilles—Elinor not— Did I write to you at Marseilles—I wrote to somebody not Hope I know— Excuse confusion—

In mad haste your dear M. | H. E. D.

I'm trembling about Geo—mind you write & tell me at once— I ame so glad H. Lubbock is going to be married cos he'll never take me down to dinner again & there will be one less to bore Lady L.  as far as I can make out Lizzie is better now— Tell Lizzie I was sick & I'm sure I told you so