From Emma Darwin to Leonard Darwin [c. 6 March 1876]

My dear Leo.

I send you W’s last. He is still rheumatic & writes w the left hand— Another pouring Sunday which has been our regular rule for many Sundays— We had M^r Leaf v. nice but almost too quiet & modest, also Mr Teesdale to lunch (who has not at all the same complaint; but talked all the time, which I call rather a want of taste in a man meeting such a man as your father for the first time. The Trinity son came also & is not engaging but not the reverse— I am glad we have got them done & now we will not ask them to dinner they are not nice enough. Horace came home on his bicycle, which was hard work with the wind in his face. He went on it this mg. w. a storm in his back & down hill so it wd be very easy. He is now in the drawing school which he thinks he shall like— Frank sent off his Stipa paper & Horace is making a clock to exhibit when the paper is read—

I shall be very sorry if W^m’s house falls through. Hen. keeps mending & is nearly as usual except that she does not get in the mornings. They stay a week longer.

Goodnatured R. stays in London today to take Bessy to the play Rip van Winkle on her way from Lidwells to Barlaston—

F. has been intensely interested in the Blue book of the Vivisection Commission.

The Report to the Q. is so admirably done we want to know who did it. Certainly there has been monstrous acusatinos brought