From Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin 23 August [1874]

My dear Leo.

We are packing up for tomorrow's start home at 6^.^30 a. m.; after a most successful & peaceful stay w. dear old W^m.. F. says he has not felt so rested & improved & full of enjoy ment since old Moore Park days- –-

George joined us about 10 days ago, & has been tol. & able to join all our expeds—which have chiefly consisted in driving as far as N. Stoneham Park & getting out for a short walk— I had no idea it was so charming & pretty, & F. finds that he was quite mistaken in thinking he had succeeded in crushing out his taste for scenery—or that for a beaut. garden, which we saw yesterday in such a blaze of sun. Mrs Crabbes, only $\frac{1}{2}$ a mile off—It consisted chiefly of made terraces & the way every thing grew was wonderful—She leaves Camellias & sweet verbena out all the winter. The bedding out was so tasteful that it converted me to it in that style. Today is so hot that I have not attempted going out. I don't know whether the others told you of the attack on George in the Quarterly w. respect to his old article on Marriage. J accuses him of advocating the greatest license & immorality. It was too bad to pass over so G. wrote a letter to the Ed. indignantly denying that he had ever said a word to justify the imputation. F. backed it up by a strong tho' friendly letter to Murray, & he has received an answer saying that the Ed. promises to publish G's letter verbatim in the next Q. The article also is v. spiteful to F. & we are convinced from internal evidence that it is by Mivart. George has written what we think a good article controverting Max Müller's views of language thro' a review of an article of Whitney's (a good American philog). & we hope the Contemp.QQQQ may admit it.

The foreign party Litches, Rose & Bessy (I feel inclined to ask like Charles Lamb, you know who Rose is don't you?) had a lovely crossing & spent 2 pleasant days at Paris. Mr & Mrs F. D. (you remember who she is) are lamenting how soon they will have to come home— They had a great deal of rain their first fortnight at Mürren, but I think it must have been lovely since.. Tyndall's address to the Brit. Assoc. was 8 columns w. I read aloud & the others thought it v. fine. I thought his éloge on F. very fine too, but the rest was above me.

W^m's^ house is all gone to smash. I find it was the wet weather made me hate this so m. Not that I shall ever be content w. it.

You are about $\frac{1}{2}$ way now We have never seen the Merope's name as spoken to you will have a large crop of letters at N.Z.. This no 10 I think. I guess you will open the last first & so work back— W^m's^ dancing the 3 temps is so good now that he dances all night every where & enjoys it— He is so overwhelmed w. croquet & garden parties that he cannot accept all his invites. I think you are one who owe me 1/. on Ida's & Effie's height. Effie is the tallest & I shall call in my debt when you come home.

The Bessemer steam boat is to be launched in 3 weeks. I don't despair of taking F. across some day—

yours my dear old man | E. D—