From Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin [22 August 1873]

My dear Leonard

You had every reason to be proud of the length of yr letter tho' the last page was a failure. I am glad you are expecting a visit from the Barlastons. We came home yesterday most luxuriously in a composite carriage thro' to Orpington; why in the world they are willing to take all that trouble for the ordinary payment I can't think. They evidently thought we were Dukes at least when the engine came on purpose from Charing X to Waterloo & carried us off & fixed us to the train. It made the journey very easy—.

We were very sorry to leave old William & I think he was sorry to lose us. Horace & B. took a little tour of one day to Lyndhurst & enjoyed a pretty drive & walk tho' the last day was ugly & unbecoming. We were extremely comf. & F. very well most of the time. William's house-hold is much happier since the departure of Liddell & I was happier too for I never liked him. Did you hear of his outbreak of 3 day's drinking which caused his dismissal

The object of most of their walks & drives was vaguely looking for a site for W^m to build, as there are no hopes of his old lady giving up her house—

Horace went to Paul's Cray on the big bycycle 7 miles in 50 minutes. It took him 1$\frac{1}{2}$ hours to return. We are expecting Dr Hooker & Gen. Strachey tomorrow. I am glad to see that William is not at all thin. He seems to have little the matter with him, but is not strong & has almost constant noise in the head which increases when he reads, which he hardly does at all —

Yours my dear old man | E. D—

Geo. was at his best at Barlaston & is very uncomf. tho' he manages to walk & ride & he is certainly fatter