From Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin [c. 17 December 1876]

My dear Leo—

I think B. wrote to you on Monday— I remained 3 or 4 days in bed & have only now begun to feel pretty strong again— It was a feverish cold— We have not got Horace today, as he is gone to Cambridge. I send you G’s account of his astronomical letter being read at the R.S.  It was lucky for him that D^r Duncan got up & talked such nonsense, otherwise probably not a word w^d have been said about the matter. Frank keeps on in exactly the same state of hard work & tolerable cheerfulness; but every day he takes more pleasure in the baby, & becomes more handy & bold in his powers of nursing. The baby is quite a prize article in point of fat & healthiness, & may become handsome, though far from it now. He has a pretty mouth & expression, & is partic. amused at his grandfather’s face. I am surprized at his making out the expression from such a mass of beard.

We are starting a new nurse on Monday, which will entail much supervision. The welch old lady wanted to go as she was so unwell. I am afraid your politics are rather corrupted. I send you a few words on Dizzy’s conduct at the Mansion House feast. It can only be accounted for on the belief that he really wishes for war—

It was almost insulting to the Czar & he shewed that he took it as an insult. I don’t think Gladstone did misrepresent the feeling of England some months ago, tho’ I am afraid it is gone to sleep now. Here in Frederick Harrison’s opinion of Gladstone which he gave to Hen— It is amusing.

“The F. Harrisons were here the other day, & he was telling us about Gladstone. That he has the saving of his soul & other people’s souls always ready to burst forth, & that M^rs G. has sometimes quite to stop him from rushing off to public meetings or field preaching— & yet with all this he likes to hear the most atheistical arguments, & will say at the end that there is a great deal in what is said &c  F. Harrison w^d not hear of my suggestion that he sometimes truckled to electors; He says that G. really means never to take the Premiership again—but he w^d not say what might happen if the people called him to power—

The Dean of West. (Stanley told Ellen Tollet that the two who had most to answer for about war, are Dizzy & Gladstone.

The little Harrisons are so Churchy that they are always dressing up in towels & acting choristers & the baby of 3 was found building an apse with her bricks.

Hope is so comf. at Trentham Inn that she can’t bear the thoughts of a household. Effie is paying them a visit, poor Hen. was to have gone but she has been in bed v. poorly for more than a week. Hope speaks warmly of the affectionate way she is taken into the Barlastons family. The building here is undertaken by aa London builder, which I think Marshall a good deal prefers— Lastell’s estimate was consid. the highest— It is to be begun at once, to be done w. cement instead of mortar as that hardens at once so that you may go on thro’ the frost—

Also we have bought the horse— The building will come to near £700 when all is done— I don’t wonder you find it difficult to refuse invites. I hope you will soon be less busy. It must interfere o.m.w. your own Staff Coll. work—

I don’t think Bessy cares the least for coming into her fortune of £14c per an. but I think it will be good for her. I wish she c^d care the least bit for money—

yours my dear E.D

Your letter to G. just came— w. we have handsomely sent on  Poor old W. laid up w. influenza w. enabled him to write you a chocking long letter—