From H. E. Litchfield to Leonard Darwin 26 October 1875

My dear Leo.

Here we are at the furthest point of our wanderings & are gng to turn home tomorrow. It has been a funny kind of holiday—very instructive for R.—he hasn't read so many books since I have known him— After we'd stopped at Down a good bit

disappeared of my being always $\frac{1}{4}$ hour late for breakfast. People sh^d. learn not to be old maids— Here we are having a rather dismal visit. Poor Edmund is very ill. He lives altogether upstairs in two rooms & is only able to see us once a day—or twice on his better days—for half an hour. I shd think from what I hear that he can't live very much lnger—only that this disease seems to let people linger on in a cruel way. I am glad to think that materially he is not so neglected. Lena does see after his bodily wants & I don't gather that there is such a wild scrimmage gng on as there used to be. But I am afraid she can't or doesn't give him much companionship. She is a curious creature & seems developing

gardeners & the under gardeners was more of a paraphernalia of life than I shd care to govern— Effie says they break 18/QQQQ— worth of lamp chimneys a week! Which gives one a great idea of the style they live in. Lily was in a more subdued state than when she acted hostess & consequently wasn't so tiresome—but I do on Nov 1^st. with my new crew of servants. I hope the domestic wheels will now now move smoothly.

Goodbye dear Pouts. Just got a bundle of yr letters to read to Ed. Uncle Ras has most of 'em read out too—so I shall [heed] some of them well | yr H.S.L.