From H. E. Litchfield to G. H. Darwin [late 1876?]

Dear Geo.

My heart is in my shoes & I thk the best way of beguiling the time will be to write to you—

I hope my letter last night was intelligible. I wrote it in rather a hurry—but I thk I gave you all the knowledge I had—except to say that we think [lint] kept really wet is better than a poultice—or at any rate qu. as good. There is less movement & of course far less trouble. I'm afraid you'll feel the miss of yr exercise Andrew ordered R. fresh brewer's yeast— I think a tablespoonful before breakfast—when he had a bad series of boils a few years ago. & we believed in it. It wasn't nasty or unwholesome—but perhaps you are too kittle cattle to play any tricks without D^r's^. orders. We've been having Eddy in to see Laura. He looks v. beaming as you w^d thk Lily's love ought to do. Some of us old maids thk he might have flown higher & I don't even thk she'll make a handsome middle aged woman. They say she looks v. pretty now & intensely happy. Laura wants to get her building begun at Abinger. Her whole house is to be £750 which makes our two rooms seem dear at £600. However there is a funny kind of hitch. Laura & T.H. cant agree upon aspect & why he cares no man can fathom. As he is not to live in it himself. But he is too fidgetty. I guess we go to Down on Monday for 3 nights & then home till Xmas. When I spose we shall all come home.

I hear Frank hates seeing old Amy—I suppose it is the name he thinks of.

Goodbye dear Geo.

I'll write no more but take to novel instead.

yours | H.E.L.

All safe tho' & home again. What a blessed relief it is!