From Leonard Darwin to G. H. Darwin 22 October 1877

dear g.

you see that i have taken to this old machine again and the mistakes come quicker than ever . i rather like it because i have not to hold any thing on my lap   mr ashburner came down yesterday with his two boys , i think he seems a pleasant sort of a man , but has rather a melancholy expression which is not bery much to be wondered at as his home is not a particularly happy one , mrs ashburner was insane or something like it at one period of her life and now , although bright and pleasant is rather foolish in some respects . she is in america now withnher daughter , and it is not quite certain whetheer she is or is not going to marry an american , this is a great grief to the father because he depends on her very much , he only came down in the middle of the day & went up again before dinner . dr. morre was down here also & was as amusing as usial. he is not going out to switzerland as soon as hen. seemed to think partly because it does not suit him so well but also because he thinks that they would be f foolish to move so soon. he said that he thoubght there was no chance of a relapse now . william came on saturday but had to go away on suday evening . he seemed very cheerful & jolly the little i saw if him . sara has not yet had her letters from america so that the time for the marriage is not absolutely fixed as i understand but it is to be at the end of november i n all probability . the photo exhibition is now going on in town with a lot of our photos at it . they are pretty good but not so good as they ought to be as have been printed too dark , some of the enlargements have been mentioned in the papers as good , it will be rather a sell if i dont get a chance of seeing them myself , but i am afraid that is on the cards . i have not particular leg news except that i think it has gone down in the last week . i have swearing about it a good deal during the lasr few days?but now i am a little more cheerful on the subject . horace has gone for a day to the spottiswoodes , where the huxleys & tindals are to be , it ought to be pleasant but he has not yet come back so i cant tell his news

yours ever l. d.