[1]

Down Beckenham

Feb 8 1881

My dear George

I got your 4th letter yesterday, telling of your voyage & how pleasant you found the Blandy's

[insertion:] Madeira

It arrived when we were just in the midst of a day nearly as bad as the celebrated Tuesday before you started; but the wind changed to the S. & it was ferocious (so that F. cd not get beyond the kitchen garden today) but not cold & the snow is gone. It made F. so envious to hear of your 70˚.

[2]

We had Leo on Sat, looking very slim & genteel; but he says he is quite well & his appetite is certainly excellent. He is extremely chilly, which I suppose is a remnant of the disorder. Bessy is at Basset & she does not m. enjoy the Mlle & poor old W's frantic efforts to talk & understand the reading ─

It certainly will take away the pleasure of her visit so I have advised her to profit by it & plunge into talking French, however badly.

[Basset is the home of William Erasmus & Sara Darwin.]

[3]

I wonder how you will like Romanes' article versus Butler ─ our young ones are v. severe upon it & on hearing that R. [Richard Litchfield] was writing a rejoinder to Butler, the Litches called upon him with the hope of stopping it or modifying it ─ R. was v. good natured & read his article to them & consented to leave out a long ironical passage & something more ─ so they did some good ─ Krause's article was translated by F. Balfour & we all thot it moderate & excellent ─

[4]

The Litches are v. sorry that any notice was taken of the subject ─ but ─ I think they take too serious a view of the whole affair.

How entertaining public affairs have been ─ & how delightful the Speaker's coup d'état was on the Thursday mg ─ Hen & Bessy went on the Thursday evg ─ in the faint hope of getting into the House. Sir John was away but told them to send for Sir D. Wedderburn. He was v. civil & took them up to the Ladies gallery

[5]

w was so overflowing it was hopeless to wait.

Gladstone came to High Elms [Home of Sir John Lubbock] on Sat ─ & Leo waited on instead of returning early to Chatham for the chance of his coming here ─ but in vain. Leo has his classes on now, but manages not to tire himself. I dare say he wd have escaped this second attack if the Coniston Dr had found out what was the matter; but he did the v. worst thing he cd viz go a hunting. He thinks Uncle Ras liked having him to look after &

[6]

he was q. comfortable all the time except one of his usual attacks.) The Horaces are as happy as Hs [Horace] & Is [Ida] at home again. The visit an utter failure, tho' Effie was civil ─ & they will not try it again ─ as Mr F. did not seem as if he cared about seeing anything of Ida.

F. Balfour is in a fury w. Butlers answer ─ which certainly contains some falsehoods.

Poor old Brooks is ill

[7]

& I am afraid not the least likely to die. Nothing particular the matter with him; but a general failure. Mr Fegan has had such an effect on the Reeves family, that Mrs Reeves who I believe formerly never went to see her father now is kind & attentive ─ old Reeves is quite a saint & "makes prayer" & so does Nicolls. Mr Hoole appeared the other day, bringing a wonderful account of his wife ─ Fred ─ Lubbock has bought the Rookery for only £5000

[8]

Mr Nash having given £10,000 ─ (F. has not lost the eczema, but it is v. slight now ─)

Yours my dear old man ─ E.D

I expect that you will find the society quite pleasant ─ It is well if poor young Campbell does not die of the voyage ─

F. begs you will not forget the worms in those parts ─ He is puzzled how worms get to islands