From Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin 23 February [1875]

My dear Leo.

Your letter of Dec 15 was a particular pleasure this time as we had been wondering for about 10 days why it did not come— Your acct of the horrid 9^th was even more dismal & provoking than we expected, & then the beautiful day 2 days afterwards!

It was satisfactory your proving the goodness of your work in the dry plates.

F. & I are both sitting to Mr Ouless. F's picture does not nearly fill up his time as he cannot sit v. long; so it was convenient for me to sit also. F's picture is melancholy but like. I am at present a most morose old lady; but I hope to sweeten my expression w. the last touches. Mr O. is a v. pleasant inmate as far as entire simplicity & tameness goes; but I cannot believe he has any genius. F. is grinding away at looking over the M.S. of ""Insectivorous & climbing plants (w. is the title). It is virtually finished, but he will be some weeks longer before he sends it off— He finds Frank of great use, tho' not in the way of correction. When it is got rid of we are going to Eras. for a week. He is pretty well & has not suffered from the severe weather. The only sad thing to tell you of is the sudden death of Arthur Williams. He was taken on Sunday with violent sickness & then became unconscious— At Caroline was in London & went down on Monday & he died in the afternoon of Tuesday. They call it pressure on the brain. Poor Margaret bears up almost too well, & they w^d like to see her give way more. She has a gt deal to do in arranging every thing in the way of charities & other business before leaving. They were as happy as poss. and did every thing together in the way of business & pleasure— Planted every planted in the garden & green house.

After a time the L.H.P. party will feel it a great benefit having M. & the children to live with them, as they are a very spiritless family now. George & Horace have both fallen back in this very unwholesome winter. Horace does not find his present shop near so interesting as the carpentering & last week after spending some pleasant days at Cam. he did not manage to do any work— I do not think larks suit him, & he owns (not to eating & drinking too much) but to being desperately tired every night, I suppose w. so m. talking. Fr. & Amy went to Q.A. on Sat for pictures & concerts. Bessy is gone up today to look at the ancient masters call on Amy Crofton (w. her second baby!) & come back w. the Franks. The Zurich piano is arrived & is liked & Amy is taking lessons of Miss Latter. The potteries feel dreadfully disgraced by the election of D^r Kinealey. You will see the account of his taking the oaths which gives one some satisfaction  Frank repeated his Keston lectures here, to good audiences. The last one included some temperance & it unluckily leaked out that that w^d be his subject, accordingly very few men attended. His manner & voice are very pleasant, but rather nervous & he clears his throat too often. I am in hopes he will do it again— The Sunday after his lecture Mr Ff. introduced drunkenness into his sermon, for the first time, as I believe. Parslow has a fit of the gout, & George of the stables is going to be footman at the Normans. I thought his plainness (to speak mildly) w^d stand in his way; but they have been so plagued with all their footmen going off to London, & I think they will be safe from that, & he is a good boy. I am afraid you will not have been able to see the Yosemite & the trees. Will you give our very kindest remembrances to all the Norton & Sedgwick party. I shall like to hear any thing about them. Uncle Hensleigh goes constantly to D^r Lynn & sometimes lunches w. him. The other day Dr L. told him how he did the reading the names trick, viz. as you thought by snatching them out of the hat & reading them. Uncle H. did not believe a word of it, & thinks it done in some occult way!— Poor Old Sir C. Lyell died yesterday without m. suffering. Life was done for him & one c^d not wish him to live. Col. Lyell the younger brother died about a month ago—after a paralytic stroke

Yours my dear old man | E Darwin