From H. E. Darwin to Elizabeth Darwin 9 [April] 1866

Dear Lizzie—

Many thanks for your letter which was all new to me—I am very glad you are going to Ireland & hope the Fenians won't eat you— You'll be a jolly party— Yesterday was a horrid day—rain furiously all morning—so that I cd hardly get to church (it is our next door neighbour) & heavy clouds in the evening— However I went a nice walk & the colours on the sea were lovely—all the irradescent colours of mother of pearl— I went up to the Croix des Gardes & sat a long time looking down on the town & sea till the clouds began to threaten too seriously— In the evening we had a not at all pleasant excitement— We discovered that the dog of the house—a nasty vicious looking overfed beast had died of hydrophobia that very day & that he had only been shut up after having flown at the cat—tho' he had been ill for several days, refused to drink & had an affection of the throat. He had flown at a cabman the day before, fortunately only biting his trowser but it gives one rather a shudder to think of what it might have been  After flying at the cat they did shut him up & going next morning to look they found him tearing at any bit of wood so that his mouth was bleeding & his teeth dropped out ? & foaming & in the middle of the day he died— They cruelly didn't have him killed at once—& lo! we found we were expected to live with this bitten cat in the house with us— We none of us felt inclined for this & after a conclave of war sent for M^me. Luigi & told her the cat must be killed or we cd n't stay in the house—but really I do feel very very thankful that we were none of us bitten instead of the cat for we ran a g^t. risk the dog being anywhere about the house. I ought to say the cat was executed today, so I hope all is safe now. Today I set off with young Robertson at 9 o'clock into the town— I must premise that the town is in a great state of excitement with the Easter Fête  Each town has its band & they all meet & have prizes & flower shows & regattas & so we went in to see the fun— It wasn't very good but it is very amusing to see all the Fench in their Sunday clothes chattering and talking and amusing their selves— I came home from that & set off with Miss S. to go & see an old M^r. Bellenden Ker—Papa knows about him—quite one of the specimens of longivity of lawyers— He told such a funny anecdote of old Lord Cran— Lord Cran said to him ""I'll take you to see M^r Darwin if you like—very odd man—very remarquable man but would you believe it he spends all his time in breeding pigeons!"" M^r Ker vows it was no joke—but isn't it a fine idea? ""Charlie Darwin the pigen fancier"" in a literal sense. He showed me some very pretty drawings of flowers by his sister in law who is just dead—I should think his was a unique household—he lives with his two sisters-in-law & away from his wife— He is a wicked old gentleman he has told the orthodox M^r. Woolfield who has built the church & in whose garden we walk—that the Head of the Unitarians & the somthing of Darwinism are come to pollute the place— I call it too bad to take away our rags of character— The F. Galtons have just gone wh. I'm sorry for I shd like to have got to know them very much. This afternoon was again spent in trapseing into the town & now poor me feels rather tired. Tell Mama that here is a sketch of my health— I have been taking iron and am thinking of leaving it off— This climate I find a stimulus— I does without my tea of an evening which cart ropes shouldn't make me do in England— I feel very strong in walking & have much less flatulence— Please give Mama enclosed Gravamina—& ask her to read mark learn & inwardly digest

Goodbye Dear L. Thank Mamy for her tail to your letter— yours H. E. D.

Please I wish this letter wasn't so dull & badly written