254 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, xvn 



' I used to go to bed early when he suffered so much from 

 fatigue, and often read some time. Also got up early and 

 read to him early after my breakfast generally found him 

 doing nothing, but the two last mornings he occupied him- 

 self for a short time and felt more like recovery. ..." 



Emma Darwin to her son Leonard. 



MY DEAR LEO, DOWN, Friday. 



I have very little to tell you except how beautiful 

 the weather is ... I feel a sort of wonder that I can in a 

 measure enjoy the beauty of spring. I am trying to get 

 some fixed things to do at certain times. Bernard's lessons 

 are a great help to me, and some reading with Bessy; but oh, 

 how I miss my daily fixed occupation, always received when 

 I went to him with some sweet word of welcome. 



I often admired the courage and energy with which she 

 filled up her day and let no one perceive that she missed 

 the framework of her occupation for almost every hour of 

 the day. " I had my work to hold hard to and felt it was 

 everything to me," a nephew, who had lost his wife, wrote to 

 her, " but yours is a double loss." 



During my father's last years her whole day was planned 

 out to suit him, to be ready for reading aloud to him, to go 

 his walks with him, and to be constantly at hand to alleviate 

 his daily discomforts. 



He breakfasted early, and came out from his study to 

 read his letters between nine and ten, have a little reading 

 aloud, and then went back to work till nearly twelve o'clock. 

 He would then come into the drawing-room till it was time 

 for his walk. My mother would, when her strength and 

 the weather allowed, go with him round the " sand- walk." 



After luncheon at one, he read the newspaper, then 

 came letter writing by dictation, which was often her task, 

 and at about three in the afternoon he would go upstairs 

 to rest and have reading aloud. Afterwards there would 

 be another walk together; he would then do an hour's more 

 work, have another rest and then more reading aloud. His 

 evening was passed in the drawing-room if they were alone. 

 He read a little scientific German to himself and then there 

 would be reading aloud again or sometimes music. 



