From Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin 25 November 1874

My dear Leonard.

It was a joyful sight to see your fat letter all plastered w. stamps.

We read it by instalments & it was very good of you to write so fully– – You give a capital idea of your voyage. Your manners do not seem to be improved, but I suppose if the young ladies had not rather encouraged the jokes they w^d have been a little more refined—

On the whole you seem to have had good luck especially in the bay of Biscay— Your letter came just in 8 weeks & a day. I don't wonder you feel gt swells out there.

Horace insisted on the letter being sent first to him, so he was favoured & then it goes by age, but I shall save it for a journal for you when you are an old man. Horace was removed into the foundry last week–- - It sounds very stupid chipping brass mouldings into shape. He thinks that he was supplied with an extra stupid job out of spite from the foreman. The quarrel arose by the foreman leaving him a whole hour (though H. applied to him twice) without taking the trouble to supply him with work; & when one of the heads came by & asked him how he had nothing to do, H. told him & the foreman got a scolding. However it is very little that he can do to spite him. The pupils sometimes turn out very useful & are always highly profitable. The Hon. Parsons is now trusted with the superintendance of a job (without pay) wh. they w^d have had to pay highly for. We were to have gone to London this week but Eras. is very unwell & we shall prob. go to Hen. next week—

Frank & Amy are at home again & gave a gorgeous luncheon to F. & Bessy yesterday. I was too [coldified] to go. Their cook seems very superior. They have no wine in the house, so Frank borrowed a bottle. They mean to get a small supply—

The Hookers came to us on Thursday (it was Dr H.'s proposal & it pleased us very much as showing so much friendship for us)

We felt very nervous all day but the meeting was very little painful. Dr H. was calm & even cheerful though when alone w. F. he often broke down.

Harriet has a little of her mother's obtuseness of feeling & was naturally very full of all she w^d have to do & to take care of, & how to make her father comfortable & she liked talking & planning about every thing. Mrs H. was little of a mother & nothing of a companion to her. I was always afraid D^r H. had discovered how little we liked her, so that I was very glad to hear that he had been talking to F. in great admiration about her & saying how every body liked & admired her. George keeps really better but often has a week of great discomfort. He has never had sickness for more than 4 months & has gained a stone in weight He came home last week to consult F. whether he thought his incubrationsQQQQ on Polit. Econ. w^d do for a lecture to the Royal Inst. (wh. Mr Spottiswoode had asked him to give—a gt compliment) but F. thought it too dry & abstruse a subject, & we all thought him to inexperienced, & so I am glad he gave it up. & it was a relief to him to cast it off—

We have had an uncomf. account of Eras. & he has been unusually weak this winter.

We are opening the Reading Room with great èclat w. a new Bagatelle board, in spite of the [Ffeinds] teeth. The young men subscribe 30/ towards it.

I suppose you have nice spring weather. We have had bright frost for some days, & today high wind & snow.

Yours my dear old | man— E. D—