From Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin 23 December [1876]

My dear Lenny

When is the best time for sending us some oranges? This is a pretty good time for English oranges & we should like some from Malta if it is a good time there also. I don’t mean a present but instead of what I shd buy here, as being so m. more worth having—

Our events are small, tho’ we did have one yesterday, Frank being sent for to see a sick child which died while he was there; very strangely as he could not make out the cause. We shall all be assembled today but you— W^m came yesterday & is very well & George on Thursday— The Litches today— I am afraid it will make Frank more sad—but he appears wonderfully even in spirits & finds the baby better company every day— Horace had some talk w. M^r Glaisher at Cam—which set him again upon his planetary machine & he has made it again on a very m. smaller scale—

W^m & Horace are dividing At Cath’s property which seems to be a most difficult job. Bessy is to begin on her fortune of £140 per. an. which I am afraid will be rather a burden to her— The new part of the house is going on at a great rate, & now we we are likely to have some dry weather. I think the house will be much less ugly when it is finished than with the old blank wall— Especially the hall door which will be quite respectable. I hope you will not have to give evidence about Poor Col. Fisher, & especially that you will not drive out w. him again— George brought F’s Auto Bi & Journal most gorgeously bound from Cambrdige—superintended by Mr Bradshaw— Arthur Balfour is thinking of buying Hopedene, so I am afraid they are sure to sell it. I wanted them to keep it in the family for Godfrey & Hope in future years

Hope has so enjoyed her honeymoon at Trentham Inn w. no household, that I am afraid she will find it a bother taking to maids & dinners & household accts. As soon as we had safely bought the Southampton horse he took to naughtiness & reared up & fell back upon W^m the groom, without however hurting him & I hope he frightened himself. He also kicks—but since we have had a quiet horse of Mr Nicholls to go with him he is quite reformed. I don’t know whether we shall have to send him to a breaker—

I suppose you have no time for reading now— Kingsley’s life seems very pleasant

Bessy liked her 3 days w. the Harrisons at Norwood—Matthew civil & rather friendly & Lucy very happy w. her dull husband & nice but B. said it was rather hard work finding all the [frais] the talk

Goodbye my dear old man | E. D—

Uncle Harry lives with the Kempsons at Folkestone & finds it very peaceful & comf. The Major is rather better & goes out in a Bath chair & has a good deal of chat w. the attendant who often an old soldier & Irish—