From Emma Darwin to Ida Darwin 21 June [1881?]

My dear Ida

I had almost entirely given up hopes of you before; but how nice it wd have been to have had you— We had 3 dismal days Thurs. Frid. when Hen left us & Sat. when W^m came at 9.30 a.m.. We rec^d him w. a watery gleam, which we felt grateful for, & he almost immediately took a little drive w. me & F. to look for lodgings for the Huxleys (w. no success) the situations q. charming but too small— The one close to Mrs Smith might do.

Sunday was the loveliest Sunday we had & they have all 3 been nice. We had m. such a row as we had w. Horace on the other Sunday.

Yesterday B. & Leo. went up Helvellyn but it was ugly & not m. worth while—& the others dragged me up to these rocks close by—

I forgot to say that poor Mr Marshall (not old however) did call when he had the O’Brien’s to protect him, & was v. civil, & we heard from Mr O’B. that he had been wanting to do it ever since we came, but could not get courage; so we go wherever we like. Today (a regular storm, but bright & pretty) we went to lunch at the O’Brian’s lower down the Lake. We went 4—& W^m & Leo followed after lunch— It is a beaut. place & the view towards Helvellyn is finer than this; but the immediate surroundings are not to compare w. this end. They were very pleasant & took us a short walk & we Old ones returned home, leaving the rest to do something more enterprizing & they are not yet returned. Mr O’Brian is very anxious that the land bill shd pass—he has been wishing for something to be done ever since 1870. They are utterly without rents now, & Mrs O’B. was talking of having to remove the son from Harrow, when his father wd teach him & she thought he w^d learn m. more. G. had a beaut. walk. the mountain way to How Town & was brought back by the steamer. He is tol. well—& enjoys things & W^m admires intensely, only a little troubled at not having Sara— yours my dear— E.D—

Geo. will stay w us to the end the others go on Sat.