From Leonard Darwin to Emma Darwin 1 February 1876

Dear mother

I believe that if the mail had not been late I should have taken your advice and left the letter writing [big] to George this week. G has been rather feeble all this week probably from the effects of the journey coming out afterwards. He has not been well enough to dine at mess most evenings, and we have generally gone together to the club where we get a quiet dinner and G escapes the bother of sitting through numerous courses without eating anything. The weather has been rather bad for him too as we have had almost nothing but the nasty damp Scirocco wind which often seems to make people feel flabby. He seems to think he is on the mend now. Yesterday we went over one of the huge Indian troop-ships on her way out to India. I knew one of the lieuts R.N on board, who said he thought he could take George home in her on her way back, about April 1^st.  But I don't think that George will take it as it would keep him longer than he wanted, and the long sea voyage, even in those ships, would be pretty bad for him. I am much afraid that they will be sending me out to this Musquetry place soon, wh. will be a great bother; though it is near enough to come in every afternoon.

Your affec son | Leonard Darwin