188&-1892] My Illness at Durham 293 



Emma Darwin to her daughter Henrietta Litchfield. 



DOWN, July 25, 1891. 



I am much interested in De Quincey's letters, or rather 

 in Dorothy Wordsworth's to him. There must have been 

 something very engaging in him to have received such nice, 

 wholesome letters, full of the children. 



Then follow some paragraphs about patterns of chintz 

 and arrangements for the come and go of life, and as a 

 postscript written across the letter : 



Such a loathsome crawling letter of Coleridge to De 

 Quincey, declining to pay his debt. 



Sept. 9th, 1891. 



I look out at the sunny sky, and the trees in Smith's lane 

 all quiet and glowing, instead of being tossed as they were 

 all August. 



The following letters were written to me at Durham, 

 where I was ill for two months from having taken a dose of 

 poisonous linament instead of medicine. I nearly died, my 

 arms were paralysed, and both feet badly burnt by hot 

 bottles during the long insensibility. 



DOWN, 19th Sept., 1891. 



The children were very happy all day out of doors. It 

 was pretty to see Margaret walk up to Dicky on the hard 

 gravel with her naked feet and put her head down on his 

 back to " love him." 



In the course of a few days when you can mark any- 

 thing of a step forward it would be nice to have a telegram 

 so as to enjoy it a day sooner. 



|)OWN, Sept. 2Qth, 1891. 



R.'s good account and your precious little note came 

 together, and made me feel in a glow of happiness. 



