From Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin [5?] December [1876]

My dear Leo

I wish you could get a little more leisure tho’ your work is improving but w. your poor sick Colonel I don’t see how you can— We had the Hookers on Sat & W^m turned up too, so we did very well— Mrs H—is very gracious & discreet & soft in her manners & D^r H—very jolly & happy— She did not look free from cares & I don’t believe that adopting 2 grown up step-sons & one grown up daughter is altogether a pleasant affair. We have heard that they do not like it.

Marshall & the builder came on Friday & we thought the building was actually to have begun on Monday; but we have had 2 days of incessant rain & they have not appeared— The first step will be to pull down the flint wall from the porch to nearly the gate & cart in the bricks thro’ the gap.

Bessy spent Monday at Holwood & slept there— She found it very comfortable & easy & liked them all— Poor old Shafto never spoke so he was nearly harmless— Poor Mr Thompson is dead fortunately for himself & a Mr Dyke brother of Sir Percival is to have the living—

The charming curate Mr M^cCauchlan whom we gave to Miss Drummond is going to be married to a fat jolly Miss Berens w. a good fortune.

We have been much rejoiced to hear of a good fortune being left to the Thorley’s — quite unexpectedly from an uncle they had never seen, who had quarrelled with their father.

The money left equally between the sisters & John, & he having the landed property in addition  So now they will leave off teaching (tho’ Miss T. half regrets the music lessons to some favourite pupils). I hope they will go abroad for the winter w. will be so good for Emily & enjoy themselves generally—.

I am glad John T. has his share too for their sakes. Frank is gone w. Horace to Erith for a day or 2— They were to go up to S. Kensington to see some mechanical exhib. It will good for Frank.

F. thinks he really works too hard at home— Also he does not take exercise enough; but we cannot remedy that. He takes a pretty good walk with B. every day—

His ant-feeding pamphlet is come home, & he has been sending out all his copies. His Stipa paper has had a good deal of approbation. At Eliz. & Amy W. are coming to lunch today— I seized the opp. of Frank being away— Hen. & R. are here, she is pretty well again.

Yours my dear old man | E. D—

W^m says that his puppies are becoming vulgar & dull & always looking after scraps at the kitchen door. He has plenty to do with his woods. Dick has been a good deal injured by the fall from the cart & is not able to work yet—