From H. E. Darwin to G. H. Darwin 13 July [1864]

Dear George

your letter has just come & though not too long was very welcome. Mind we shall expect more though ever so short. I can't realize that it is only a week it seems to me such an immense time, & no doubt longer to you. The other boys & T started on Sat. & so far they will have had very fine weather I shd. guess— yesterday & the day before were hot for the 1^st. time this summer. today weith no signs of rain it is as cold as ever. I did go to Mirelle after all—how much it cost I dunno but I specs a good deal  It is not such a splendid opera as Faust though some of the music I think is almost finer & TitusQQQQ was gorgeous.

I am obliged to write my letter in a peculiar fashion as Tommy is sitting by ready to put out his toes whenever he has the chance. The Langtons were still in a state of beautiful uncertainty about everything— a surveyor was going down to Hartfield which might mean something or it may not—for Uncle Charles is just the sort of man the nearer he gets to selling the more averse he will be. I came home only to find an invite to M^rs. Lubs for a few days which will be particularly nice. I have always wanted to know her— when she wrote they were in a g^t. state about this murder of the head clerk, M^r. Briggs in a 1^st. class railway carriage. it must all have been done in 5 min. wh. makes it 10 times more extraordinary. I'm afraid that by having no traces yet, they will never find out. Papa & I are privately convinced that it was Black Barney who did it. I suppose you are eating lots of fruit abroad— all our strawberries are coming at wrong time. they will be quite done by the time the Shrewsbury boys come home—not that I pity them for their letter consists in, now we went & ate fruit—took a walk & eat fruit again. Alfred does not seem capable of even looking after the luggage which is just what I thought he cd do. I hope Frank will be able to keep him in order & stop him getting tipsy at the Inns.

I don't seem to see that anything has happened besides. Papa is well & took a ferocious walk yesterday all by orchis bank & up Hargrove steep path. Horace & Parslow are gone to London today to see the [Rantsons]. Field dryer than ever, not chance of selling Jenny—all else in statu quo. Tommy sends love & has had a pleasant morning unwinding a ball of worsted which has given me an unpleasant time rewinding it. Please write by return post if only a line to say as far as you can when you shall be home—cos for some arrangements I wasnt 'ticlarly to know.

Have other notes to write so no more. How many trains have you missed now I wonder.

Ever yours | H.E.D.

P.S. It is because of a visit to Shrewsbury that I want to know when you are coming back.