From H. E. Darwin to Emma Darwin 13 September [1870]

Dear Mother—

I enclose a letter to Sno to be forwarded—ditto one to Edmund—wh. read if it amuses u so that I shant repeat my news—& only go on 6 hours later—for that was written in the morning & this is after [T]. The rain still goes on. I may say [worss] than ever— An experienced guide who is passing thro' here says the weather is going to be bad—so we are turning our thoughts below— Some people have just come up—whom I believe to be the same Manners that M^rs. Cameron told us about. It is inconvenient for we shall have a polite fight over the body of the one horse. We went a nice expedition yesterday—tho' our weather was far from perfect— Up a precipitous little path by a waterfall. I never rode up such a place before—& I'm not quite sure whether I sh^d. ride up it again—after seeing the tracks of my horses hoofs so [werry] near the edge. Elinor soon funks anything so I get all the steep bits which I like as it saves me the worst climbs & the worst jars— I do hate the jarring of going down hill— I find, however, that my back doesn't mind the motion of the horse in going up & down the steepest places wh. is a great thing & more than I expected. It is awful the way the people smoke here. We had a man & boy yesterday & they both smoked incessantly—the boy of 12 just as much. I think the boy came to act as drag to the horse by pulling at his tail— I didn't ride down—indeed they w^d.n't let me— Our exped was to have looked down into another valley—but before we got there the clouds were got so low we saw nothing distant. It was a desolate place we went to— The only sound the ""shrill cry of the Marmot""" as Murray says— I've been wondering what kind of bird it was tht made such a queer noise— The alp there was shut up for the winter & v. desolate the little chalets looked. By the way before I forget—don't put *P ⁠⟨⁠underline with nothing written on top⁠⟩⁠ *Q Hotel like you did to [Spec] at Engelberg—unless I say name of Hotel please put poste Restante— The Hotel at [Glion] is the only one we know—the Rigi Vandois.

The 2^nd. Spectator has come for which many thanks— Tell Papa I thk he'd like to see the Fraser for Sept & to keep it for me if he gets it— The article is Why not Sel has failed in case of man.

I was very glad to see an acc^t. of [Magees] sermon—wh. seemed a striking & rather new p^t. of view. Altogether we enjoy our Specs v. m. I'm not sure I shant want a book sent out, but I'll wait one more post before I settle. I find I get thro' a good piece of reading—with evenings etc. & I didn't find the [Gypsy] the stiff morsel I thought it w^d. be. I find poetry m. the best food—but cant thk what to have sent out. I am v. sorry I shall miss all the Nortons—& ur dinner party— How spirited u are!— I'm v. sorry the boys will not have their [Watest]—

I hope u've settled agst Jackdaw— I thk I've no more news to tell— We both of us wanted a letter v. bad today to amuse us & not one came—but I don't thk I'd a right to expect one after Lizzies & ur splendid [buggets]— I'm sorry Rose & Mab w^dn't come— Lizzie has had so many visits fail.

yours dear | H.E.D.

Tell the boys to remember their bargains of a joint letter