From H. E. Litchfield? to ? [22 December 1874]

by letting it break & filling up w. thicker glass.

I think Horace finds the metal work more interesting & is quite friendly w. the cantankerous foreman. George has been for a few days at Lord Rayleigh's & is come away a little shaken again by what he has told him about spiritualism tho' Lord R. has not himself seen much—

Bessy & I went to see D^r Lynn & he kept us laughing for pretty nearly 2 hours— He got a young man to come on the stage who was 6^ft4 high & the contrast made it m. more absurd, especially when he stuck him up w. an egg in his mouth, which was duly dropped & broken as is alway de rigueur, I suppose to distract people's attention for some particular reason. G. went to [Maskelyin] & Cook & was astounded at the impossibility of their feats, but they have no fun about them. Uncle Eras. has been m. better since his illness.

F. goes on steadily with his Drosera book working up his exp., & will soon have finished the first draught. Frank helps him a good deal, but his microscope work is come to an end. Frank has nearly finished his thesis. Sister Mary (Mrs Atkin & little Dan) have been at the Lodge for 3 weeks. She is a pleasant cheerful woman w. rather too ceaseless a flow of talk. They go tomorrow.

Dan was charmed w. the Z. gardens and said ""the lion was so kind as to roar"" He can read upside down exactly as well as the right way up. We had the Nash's to dinner on Sat.

Lord Sackville Cecil called on Frank & here yesterday & heard a gt deal of news about his own family, w. he seemed quite ignorant of, especially the Balfours— He goes every Sunday to early mg Communion, breakfast w. the Reeds, then mg service when he reads the lessons, & then P.M. service. Colenso is just returning well pleased with having obtained justice for the Caffre tribes who have been so badly treated. Dean Stanley had the courage to ask him to preach at West. Abbey but Colenso declined, saying he