From Elizabeth Darwin to G. H. Darwin [23–8 May 1866]

Dear George.

Did you ever feel such cold wheather it is like winter. On Tuesday we are going to Leith hill place of which I am very glad, I only hope it will be fine wheather and then every thing will be looking so pretty. We shall stay till Saturday. It is very uncertain when Henrietta will be coming home, Elanor was getting a little better so they settled to stay a bit longer. I shall not go to Ireland till the 8^th of Juin, I hope it will not be as windy as this when we cross, or it will be very unpleasant. We have bought a very nice little horse, Mr [illeg] would not let us have it for a trial nor give a warrentry, but then he was not particularly anxious to sell it, for if we had not bought it, his son who is in business would have had it for one of his travellers. I am very glad we have got it for I think it is just the horse I could ride, Mama went up Luxtead on it yesterday, she says it has a delightful walk and a very pleasant canter, and quiet but a little bit too brisk for Papa as yet so it is to be turned out. It is a black horse and very sleek but not exactly pretty. The kittens are going of to their situation to day, and Mama thinks of writing a label in their basket, `"we like colleyflower and esparigus very much. The ezalias are very pretty now but the yellow one is a little past. Horace was over here on Witmonday as it was a holiday he walked over from Bromley, and the Harry were here till Tuesday, I like Jenny very much and she is rather pretty. Tuesday was the club day and Papa went out on the lawn and read the accounts which he has not done for some years now, when he was reading Bobby gave one short howl as much as to say how very tiresome it was. Mama is much stronger now than she has been for a long time  she and I walked to the larch plantation yesterday and she has not a headache after it.

Your affectionate | E Darwin