From S. E. Wedgwood to Fanny Allen 24 May [1870]

My dear Fanny

I am almost sure your plant is a lithospermum & if so it will divide at the root. I have been hard at work the last two days putting out geraniums & clearing my green-house. & I wish William had not a decided taste for ugly things. Last year he smothered me with marigolds & balsams—& now he has got 16 pots of that insignificant little thing with red berries, besides about 4 of that hideous gouty geranium. I hope the large Cannes mesembryanthemum which I have just put out, will flower, alas you give faint hopes of coming to see my garden or Emma's boys— They came back from Cambridge today, a day sooner than they intended, but Charles was killed dead yesterday by old professor Sidgwick & so uncomfortable today that I did not see him— The old man first gave him a long sit—then he made Charles go & look over his museum—then he walked back with him to call on Emma—& ended with coming again in the afternoon & bringing F.F's friend ""Sam Banks"" with him— Emma says the plan was beautiful, all the chusnuts in flower, & she & C. enjoyed walking quietly a little about—but she was not up to much either— They saw several of Frank's friends, very pleasant, & all very handsome—& George came strait to them from Paris, where it was too hot to do anything but sit & read. I never heard of Stackelberg  I wonder where it is. Isabella is so fond of flowers I wonder she does not take a botanical book & find out what they are. (on my vile paper & pen!)

On Monday I took Ems phaeton & went to see Mrs Bonham Carter— I only found herself, & she said she was weak still, but had been out more than once— She seemed to enjoy a chat notwithstanding— She said Alice was ""an abominable nurse"" & really made her ill, coming 6 times into her room in the night—that her congestion of the lungs was all humbug of the Dr’s— I said I had no doubt Alice called her an abominable patient— She told me of Gertrude Smiths match to a scotch neighbour, but said she was the person who did everything, & she could not think how they would ever get on without her— I am glad to see by a letter from Jessie to Em—that the father Mr Carr has just come here—as I am sure too many of a family spoil the party—also I have my room instead of my company to a dinner party & a [dane] which Lena is concocting— Yesterday M^r Moore the Artist arrived to paint Milly— She has too long & thing a face to make a very pretty picture— He is painting the 3 children of the Henry Carters, very pretty ones—& has been staying at Ravensbourne walking to Down, & wondering at anybody wanting so many smoking rooms as my tower contains. This time he is come without his wife which is all the