[envelope]

Amy

W. E. Darwin Esq

Ridgmount

Basset Southampton

[back of envelope]

[1]

Wednesday

[13 September 1876]

My dear William

You will like to know all I can tell you─ Yesterday George & Horace were in London arranging for the trains for the conveyance of the coffin, so as to have no changes & they managed it with some difficulty by going from Bromley to

[1v]

Willesden─ Horace slept in Q A St so as to be ready to travel down w. Mrs R. [Amy's mother]

Frank & Arthur today, Dickie & Mrs Atkin [Amy's sister] go down with the coffin tonight. The last thing I saw of Frank was his coming in last night just to see the baby ─

I am afraid he will be more utterly miserable

[2]

than he is now, as he has violent bursts of tears & overflows with affection for us all─

He has asked his father to send proof sheets to him to copy & he has taken down F's autobiography to make a copy of it─ which will be work without much thought. He does not mean to attend the funeral which is to take place

[2v]

at a beautiful little church 5 miles off. He took a pleasure in looking often at poor Amy & adorning her with flowers & came over in the evening after it was dark to get some stephanotis & it seemed to add to his bitter grief not being able to find any but one spray─ They went off at 6 this morning calmly

Parslow said─

[3]

Mrs Ruck is his great support ─ She is always able to speak. It all came a sudden blow on the poor brothers & I never saw any thing like their grief ─ Afterwards they were most thoughtful & useful─

Poor Bessy can only sleep very little & is utterly shattered. She feels truly that she can never hope to have the loss of Amy replaced

[3v]

She was so sympathetic & the only person B. could be open with. F. is distracting his mind with schemes about building an additional room so that Frank may be made comfortable.

I hope George will run down & see you very soon─

We shall wait

[4]

till we have established the baby with a wet nurse─ when I am sure Hen. wd come & stay with it while we were with you─ They came from Glasgow yesterday morning they heard the bad news there & perhaps it was better than the suspense.

She found the car rough & swinging very contrary to your experience

[4v]

but I think it has done her no harm.

My heart aches whenever I think of Frank; but now he is out of our sight we shall be able to forget him more & take to our usual occupations. He F. has borne it wonderfully & I am quite well─

My dear William I long to see you ─ Do you keep as well as you can

E. D─

[5]

We feel much soothed by your dear affectionate letter & I shall keep to shew Frank ─ He values every body's love & sympathy─

I shall always love Mrs Ruck she forgets herself & is so tender ─

We should be most sorry for you to come now─ you must save yourself all journies

[5v]

F. prevented George going down─ Mrs R. said she wished nobody to go that did not strongly wish it for their own sakes; but I found Frank did want one brother as he wd not be there himself & so Horace is gone ─ Eras was feeling it much