From H. E. Litchfield to Leonard Darwin 20 July [1876]

Dear old Leo.

I'm shocked to see that 3 weeks have gone by without a scrap from me. You'll have been told all the ups & downs abt W^m & how after all he is to use his head somewhat. I was very much pleased with the change last Sunday when we just went down for the night. He looked to me more like himself than I'd seen him since his unlucky visit to London. It still feels to me extraordinary that he sh^d go to Scotland & I shant believe it till he's there. This great heat (we are as hot as you are in the day & some nights felt very stifling) is v. unlucky for him. As at present advised we follow W^m & Bessy as soon as we can get off. I'm horridly frightened at the accounts of the fulness of Scotland..Last Sunday we all worshipped under the limes & read Jemmy's paper. I of course cdn't understand a word of it but I'm sure it was v. well written & if I cd have understood any sh^d. have under stood every word if you know the feeling.

So [this] leave is stopped of the other poor wretches. I was at a party the other day & met M^r Ralston (the Russians philologue) & so asked him a little about war & our prospects he had just come from Petersburg. He says we are intensely hated in Russia & thght to be utterly selfish. He says that there is a v. strong national feeling of sympathy with the Serbians etc & that the Gov^t. will be v. likely not able to prevent war. Somehow war is so dreadful that one can't force one's imagination to [the] of it really as possible. I wonder if you read the Bravo case. I'm m. interested in it & read it all. I thk it is rather low of me & I must try & conceal it from Hope—she w^d. despise me so. I want to have Ricardo dug up as I feel sure there is antimony in him. I'm down here for a last week w. Hope as a spinster wh. is a large fact in my existence. R. goes up & down more or less—wh. will be hot work this weather. What a lovely place it is It is so altered from last year. So m. m. [booky] & those little wood walks are great improvements. There is one nice patch of shade where I've been already sitting w. Hope wh. I thk u were all dull not to discover. Hope wants them not to sell but to let Hdene. I can quite understand that she sh^d hate to let all her trouble be the inheritance of strangers. If G. sh^d ever retire from the pots this wd be just the place for them. R & I went a little 2 day trip on the river imitating yours I don't think you admired the river all abt Marlow eno', or thght the Inn nice eno'. Having that Garden seemed to me so extremely nice. We also crowed m. over you when we sat in the woods eating our lunches, & thght of you having it solemnly in the Inn, but then we weren't too fine for sandwiches.

Goodbye dear Pouts. It very horrid to have you gone tho' I haven't written before to say so.

your affec | H.E.L.