From Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin 12 October 1875

My dear Leo.

I got your pleasant letter of the 4^th today, with an acct of your tumble which might have been a bad one— D^r Hooker walked over from the Spottiswoodes near Brasted on Sunday. He says that you do not do justice to the beauty of Valetta, tho' he owned that the island was dull inland— Your old friend Sylvester called with D^r H. & was v. eager & animated. He is full of learning the P. F. now & gave us rather a long discourse on the particular way he practised. Horace has not got his bicycle yet & is rather out of patience. He & William are both here today. W.s tour was dreadfully spoilt by the rain & he was not v. well the first part of the time when he was at Mürren, which was the only time he had fine weather. Then he went to Munich & liked the pictures, but 0 else. Came home by some old towns which he enjoyed. He goes today to Uncle Ras, & tomorrow home where he finds the late Mrs Vertue now Mrs Money on guard till he gets a housekeeper—w. will not be easy— The Ruck's slate quarry seems really going to be undertaken by a company, & so they may turn out rich people after all— Ithel liked his visit at Frank's so well that Bessy has taken a fear they may ask him to live there, as Amy always sacrifices herself & may think it right to sacrifice Frank too, but this is nonsense & don't notice it. I think the fishing at Pant. besides being w. his mother will be powerful counter-attractions.

Your M.S. was sent off a week ago. F. is much obliged for the cheque. You remember the twisting seeds at Abinger. Frank has found 2 more which twist 6 times as fast— One an anemone & one a grass. Fritz & [Bran] have never met since, but that is tiresome, I mean having to be so cautious. The poor Kempsons go this week. He is no better & suffers a great deal of pain, but not of the very acute sort.

Tennis has never raged nearly to the Southampton pitch. I am v. sorry for R. to be obliged to give it up. He is m. better but obliged to give up all exercise. They have been w. us for a week & go tomorrow to Abinger for a few days, & poss. on to Bournemouth.

Mr Nash came the other day to plan a scheme for hiring a cottage as Reading Room & a sort of Club to be open also on Sunday— This will be a m. better plan as it will go on all the year round. He brought a few Ffiendish anecdotes—such as bullying 2 poor women into giving up attending Mrs Nash's ""Mother's meetings""

He & F. are scheming a [rebellion] about the clothing Club which I guess will make him resign the care of it. He now manages it without any meeting of the subscribers & they don't think he is to be trusted with being impartial in his dealings. Your old Col. sounds pleasant. I wonder what Whitmore that is. It is not a common name.

Horace has a cold & is taking a week's leave—he wants to shew his tool to Tyndall who is coming on Sat.

Yours my dear Old Man— Jenny & her regt will call at Malta some time in Dec.

E.D.

Chauncey Wright died suddenly the other day in America—but I don't know whether you saw him—