From Emma Darwin to Horace Darwin [13 January 1874]

My dear Horace

Your letter is just come in & I think you will be well off at that lovely place tho’ not so lovely as Hengwrt. Amy Ruck has been in today to go to pictures with Bessy & a concert with Frank which was not quite the thing but Mrs Ruck quite sanctioned it. She was dressed lovely & looked v. pretty   Uncle Ras always admires her. This ev^g Frank & Bessy are dining at the Huxleys. They have been to the French play twice & had a good time. Not so me (or I) for I was in bed all Sunday & no great things yesterday. We had the jolliest Yankee to luncheon today who almost made us laugh in his face he was so amusing. He shouted all the time as loud as F. does when he is talking to Lettington a little way off in the garden—

He told us a great deal about publishing in America & said that Agassiz did nothing but “run Moses round in a ring” & when F. wanted an explanation said he was always “on the Pentateuch!”

I am going to take Anne with me to see the Giants & 2 headed Nightingale. The girls have such fine sensibilities they won’t go. Bessy & Frank saw the Giants like any body else at the Z. Gardens Poor things I suppose they hardly ever get a walk at liberty. Amy has been 3 times to Sir Roger & begins to lose faith in him. She greatly enjoyed the wigging the Solicitor Gen. got from the Judge for missing out the bad spelling when he was reading the real Sir Roger's