214 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, xv 



surroundings. The " Rough," a stretch of wild common, 

 was near enough for him to stroll on. Lord Farrer wrote: 

 " Here it was a particular pleasure of his to wander, and his 

 tall figure, with his broad-brimmed Panama hat and long 

 stick like an alpenstock, sauntering solitary and slow over 

 our favourite walks is one of the pleasantest of the many 

 pleasant associations I have with the place." 1 



From Abinger they went to Basset, their sejour de la 

 paix, as they called it. I see by my mother's diary how 

 constant she was in driving from Basset to Southampton 

 to see the mother of one of the villagers at Down a not at 

 all engaging and not too clean old woman who had gone 

 to end her days there. This reminds me of another instance 

 of her constant kindness ; that of writing continually to our 

 poor old nurse Brodie, who had a monomania that she was 

 forgotten. Though receiving a letter only soothed her for 

 a very short time, my mother always thought it worth 

 while to do this, and I believe wrote to her every few days. 



Emma Darwin to her aunt Fanny Allen. 



DOWN, Friday [1873]. 



. . . Charles has recovered wonderfully from his distressing 

 attack of last week and is moderately at work. I think 

 with invalids, unusual health " goes before a fall." I hardly 

 ever saw him so well as the Sunday and Monday before his 

 attack. I am glad we have made a connection with a Dr, by 

 having Dr A. Clark; and his opinion was very encouraging, 

 that he could do Charles some good and that there was a 

 great deal of work in him yet. . . . 



Our visit at Abinger is a pleasant bright thing to look 

 back at. The weather enchanting, shewing off the place 

 Charles well, enjoying everything and above all EflSe, so 

 lighthearted as well as wise. . . . Are not you ashamed of 

 Archbishop Manning giving : plenary indulgence ' to all 

 these fools ? I am happy to say he also gives plenary 

 indulgence to the fools who stay at home. . . . 



1 Vol. ii., p. 392, More Letters of Charles Darwin. 



