From Elizabeth Darwin to Ida Darwin 1–2 October [1882?]

Dearest Ida

First about cooks. We should want a good cook & very good character not younger than 30. She would have a kitchenmaid & mother means to give about 48£ I think. It would be a real blessing if you could find one for us. We shall stay here most likely till Thursday or Friday or perhaps longer. It seems to be doing mother good though she had a good deal of headache on Saturday & Friday but I think she took rather too long a drive on Thursday & got over tired. This morning which was beautiful she went out in the bath chair for some time which I think she liked & she also went out for a little walk this afternoon. Richard & Henrietta went a long drive on the downs but I did not feel quite brisk today, so mother & I sat by the window looking out on the passers by & speculating who were gentlemen & ladies & who werent and occasionally condescending to look at the sea. The unfortunate Dickson has scalded her hand to day. though it does not seem a very bad one we thought it better to send her home as she cannot do much with only one hand & she might get ill. So Richard has gone down to the station to see if he can meet Elizabeth who ought to be arriving.

I liked my visit at the Shaens but I did not see so much of Mrs Shaen as I sometimes do because she happened to have a good many peopl coming to see her. Margaret was very nice & we had two beautiful days. Margaret is now very much absorbed in a great friendship with Miss Astley, it is rather like being engaged to be married  she goes down to the post every day to see for letters from her & Miss Astley sends her a little basket of ling, & Margaret sends her back the little basket full of something else. al together I feel Margaret entirely lives on this friendship & of course that make the intercourse with her a little bit flat now, but still on the whole I had some very nice talks with her.

She says she is coming to stay with you in the beginning of November. I hope we shall not be much later than the 29^th. of October in coming to Mrs Jebb's. When you write next will you tell me what lectures are to be this winter at Cambridge for I should like to know what there is likely to suit me. I hope we might go to the same it would be so much nicer, so tell me what you mean to go to if you know. The Franks are still at Windsor in lodgings & he seems to be rather better. Henrietta had rather an awful letter from Rose saying that the Richter concerts were to be got up again, money has been promised for the amount of 7.50QQQQ & Rose asks Henrietta whether Richard would be inclined to put his name down on the guarantee fund as a mere form she said. So Richard wrote a very strong letter to Rose saying that he very much disliked those sort of speculations & that he would rather see Hermann 16^th. violin in an orchestra & teaching all day than going on with the life which has brought them so much misery. However he put in feeling expressions to soften it.

I think it was a very good letter & it is well that she should know what people feel about it.

Mother says Effy & Hope ought not to know of this & certainly not Laura who is a very unsafe person to tell anything to.

I have had such a horrid pen that every now & then it blots.

Goodbye dear Ida. | Your most affec. | E Darwin

Monday morning.

Mother says she feels as if she was getting really well to day.

A lovely day  I am glad to hear that Grace & Rasmus get on well together.

He will seem quite old when we get to Cambridge