From G. H. Darwin to H. E. Darwin [3 June 1866]

Dear Henrietta,

I came here as might be expected all right. There had been a good smash betw. here & Hitchin on the day before. The line was only laid down with a view to running trams about 10 miles an hour & they run express; the consequence is that the trains are in the habit of running off, but until now nothing serious happened. They are going to lay it all again I believe.—

I bought some croquet things costing 30s.; there was nothing betw. that & 3.£,– I can't remember now whether they sent them off that evening or not, so if you haven't got them yet you'll get them by next Snow.—Also the cues I ordered to be sent, put my new cue apart & tell nobody to play with it everybody not to play.— I bought a Norse Grammar when I got here & have been studying it ever since, (I don't mean I've done no mathematics); I believe when I go mad it will be something about languages I am so fond of dabbling in them.— You may guess how like it is to English from this remark

"Lad os gaa till bed".— When you write back send me the German writing alphabet with capital letters & tell me whether there is any letter for oe & ae.

I hope Frank approves of the Norwegian scheme, if he doesn't you must make him.— I did a thing which has turned out to be rather stupid; I ordered & paid for a Murray's Norway at Smith's Stall at King X on the assurance of the clerk that it shd be sent post free the following morning; it hasn't turned up & I wrote to stir him up yesterday.—