From Emma Darwin to Fanny Allen [28 June 1873]

My dearest Aunt Fanny.

I dare say Eliz will tell you in her Sunday's letter that her new spectacles do not help her— She had so little hope of them that it is not much of a disappointment. I am glad to see that her sight serves her out of doors to do some gardening. I think the beauty of the flowers is very much lost to her— (In general I dislike steel pens; but William has given me some that suit me so well that I send you a sample of them in case you should be inclined to try them.

I never liked the Mitchell's [J] which some of the family do—your hand is so perfectly clear that it is one of the few that Eliz. can read. Even that is some effort as she generally brings yr letter to me)—

She expects her chief darling on Monday or so I believe, & Ch. Langton, after a moderate visit to her, means to take lodgings at Mrs Tasker's as he cannot bear to be absent from the children. I suppose you read long ago the Hare ""memorials of a quiet life."" I hear that 2 such different people as Miss Thornton & Mrs Bonham Carter are enchanted with the book—

I feel intense compassion for the shortness of poor Mrs Hare's married happiness not 5 years—but I cannot bear her notion that God took him away because she was so deeply attached to him— Not that I think a person cannot be selfish in their love; but it is not the strength of the love that is the sin but the selfishness. I wish they had omitted at least half the letters, there is so much sameness in the religious feelings, as of course there must be; but people make the mistake of thinking you cannot have too much of what is good; whereas the quantity of it spoils the whole in a degree— I don't wonder you were puzzled at Eliz. praises of Laura Thornton. It was L. Forster. She is not very much of a Thornton in my opinion; though she has a wit & quickness; but I think wisdom is her g^t quality  It is wonderfully largeminded in her putting up with such hereticks as we are; but I suppose her father's intense narrowmindedness may have given her a turn the other way. How I wish W^m. c^d get such a wife. But she is too sick if there were no other reasons. She has an extravagant sporting young brother & she is so wise in not disgusting him with too high a standard but it is indulgent to him, & so keeps him friends with her. One of her brothers is very nice; but she lost the one she especially loved.

George continues on the mend, but very slowly— Horace is just gone to settle in London to attend the workshop at the London University (I did not know there was such a place) by way of testing his strength as to attending a real workshop. Bessy comes back on Wed. from her pleasant month in North Wales— Her only drawback is a cantankerous young brother whose temper is very troublesome. The household is boiling over with indignation because the mowers who we engaged have broken their word & forsaken us at the last minute. I think we had better buy a machine as the difficulty of getting mowers is become very general—

yours my dear | E.D—