Ɛpsilon

From Emma Darwin   [19 April 1851]

Down

Sat. | 14 past 4.

My dearest N.1

The message is just arrived. What happiness! How I do thank God! but I will not feel too hopeful. I was in the garden looking at my poor darling’s little garden to find a flower of hers when John Griffith’s2 drove up. Give my best love to dear Fanny & Catherine.3 The latter & Brodie4 must want some repose. We shall hear nothing more now till Monday but I shall wait very well now.

John takes this back with him but I don’t know whether it will be too late.

I hardly dare think of such happiness. I hope you will sleep tonight my own.

May the dreadful sickness keep off our child

Goodbye. | E.D

1
An abbreviation for ‘Nigger’, one of Emma’s pet names for CD (Emma Darwin (1915) 2: 104).
2
Probably Erasmus Alvey Darwin’s manservant.
3
Probably Catharine Ann Thorley, who was nursing Anne.
4
The Darwin children’s nurse, Jessie Brodie (Emma Darwin (1915) 2: 86).

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-1405,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-1405