From Emily Catherine Darwin   15 [January 1837]

My dear Charles.

Many thanks for your very agreeable long letter, which we enjoyed very much, and we all unite in begging you not to care how untidy your letters are; you may depend on it, we shall be able to make them out, and only beg you will send us a hurried quick scrawl, whenever you have a spare half hour.— Caroline¹ desires me to tell you that neither Procter,² Miers,³ nor Caldcleugh⁴ are in the Library, only Head,⁵ which C. will read, and examine about what you mention,—and then write to you.— The St John is packed up carefully, and goes tomorrow to Erasmus,⁶ with a letter; does he know of your generosity? he will be exceedingly pleased, by such a pretty attention, I am sure.— My Father is afraid he can give you but little information about the wages for Covington;⁷ country and town servants’ terms being very different; the wages he gives are from ^£28 to ^£32; he thinks however that you will have no difficulty in enquiring about it, and settling with your Man.— We were exceedingly pleased to hear of all your success in London; especially Papa;—and pray write out about all your laurels; we enjoy hearing them so much, that it is hard we should lose any.— The Morning Herald of last Thursday contained an account of your 80 specimens of mammalia, and 450 birds, which were on the table at the Zoological Society;⁸ M^r Gould also described the 11 species from the Gallapagos, & all new.—⁹ Sarah Williams cut out this passage, and gave it me to take to read to Papa.— She returns to London next week, and hopes that you will sometime take her to see your birds,—which she would enjoy doing very much.— The Felis Darwinnia¹⁰ also is mentioned in that paragraph. Papa wants to know what gratitude the Zoological have shewn you; they aught at least to make you an honorary Member.—

We expect Susan to return home tomorrow from Staffordshire with Harry & Jessie, who are coming to pay us a visit.—¹¹ You did quite right to direct Mrs S. W.—¹² Hensleigh¹³ writes word that the book is to be in 3 distinct Volumes King, Fitzroy, and Darwin;— how much the most interesting the 3^d will be;¹⁴ —but I wish they were really three distinct works; they would each individually have a greater Sale, I am sure.—

I have been very gay lately, having been to two Balls, two nights running, the last was a private Ball at Acton Burnell¹⁵ (Sir Edward Smythe’s) and I was not in bed till 7 o’clock in the morning. I went with the Owens from Eaton,¹⁶ where there is one of their immense rigadoons again.— William Owen is at home now.— Mrs Leighton & Clare have decided to remain in Shrewsbury and have taken the middle house in Claremont Buildings, which is also one of the smallest; are not you sorry for them having such a fall? I think they are very foolish not to move out of this country, for Clare is too well known to do any good here. Emma Wedgwood sets out tomorrow to Edinburgh, with Jos¹⁷ for her companion; it is very spirited of her going in this weather, and I hope Lady Gifford will make her visit answer.— What an account you give of Mrs Fitzroy’s beauty; you must have had a nice evening with them.—

Papa desires me to tell you that he has had a letter from Mrs Sneyd, with a great many enquiries about you;—and Papa would take it as a kindness from you, if when you are in London, you would sometime go down to Blackheath to call on them.—¹⁸

Goodbye, dearest old Charley— Papa’s best love to you— | ever yrs | E. C. Darwin