[1]

(Dec 15. 81) Thursday

DOWN,

BECKENHAM, KENT

RAILWAY STATION

ORPINGTON. S.E.R.

My dear George

I was very glad to get your letter & to find there was a chance of you on Sat ─ w. wd be nice ─ I hope your teeth are got comf ─ but it must have been a horrid job ─

Hen. will tell you her news, it has been nice hearing bout Ida [insertion:] (Erasmus 8 Dec) by word of mouth-

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I hear that Dew Smith has actually called on the young Prince [insertion:] (Duke of Clarence at Trinity) as well as F. Balfour, who pronounces him not so bad ─ Frank & B. are keeping house at home & neither F. nor I are very first rate. yours my dear G. Leo cannot come up this time going to a succession of balls at the Brasseys. I suppose Bessy mentioned to you the coal

[3]

at Q. A. of which there is a tolerable stock. We quite liked the young Capt. [insertion:] (prob. a distant cousin: Chas Rhodes Darwin) tho' a regular Philistine. He liked his visit too I think. He told Leo he wanted to see F. he had been so chaffed about him & called Origin & Theory. He expected to find a regular philosopher but found he knew about all sorts of things & was quite good company ─

yours dear G.

E. D

[4]

No doubt the transfer will follow us today ─ We found the little Erasmus book & have brought it up for Lady Lingen.