From H. E. Darwin to Elizabeth Darwin 21 November [1864]

My dear Lizzie.

We ought to be meaning to set off tomorrow for London for London but as unfortunately both the parents are below par we've put it off till Thursday  I feel this a bad omen & rather expect our visit to prove a failure. How somedever there is no need to croak beforehand— The Lyell visit went off very well indeed— Papa was pretty well & then this horrid cold weather hadn't set in. I guess you'll be beginning to feel the severity of a german winter if it is any thing like this— Lady Lyell we thought very pleasant & nice & she admired Totty very much & thought we very heartless for turning him out every night. Aunt Eliz went on Monday too & I went over to see Elinor & make a solemn farewell.

We've been obliged to feed them with pears as they are all getting ripe at once— The apples too aren't keeping & as for the damsons they go off like little guns. It will be deeply interesting showing you the new grounds as you may call them & I think you'll call it a great improvement— I hope in the course of a year or two we shall have those horrid chicken pens hidden from the Lawn. I've had a whole row of laurels planted. Today I went to my shcool again & got on better this time. I took a class of very young ones whom I'm very stern to & whom I repress ruthlessly. The elders have been quite good as yet, but I'm rather afraid of them & they know it. It rather distresses me the cold of the school—they look such blue little creatures rubbing their poor little hands