294 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, xx 



Emma Darwin to her son Leonard. 



DOWN, October 22nd [1891 !]. 



I had a call from a pretty Mrs , so soft and affected 



I could hardly stand her. I think affectation is just as 

 rare as merriment nowadays. . . . Lady Derby deserved 

 more than civility, as I think she has some real affection for 

 me (odd to say). 



Emma Darwin to her daughter Henrietta Litchfield. 



THE GROVE, Oct. \ltli, 1891. 



I don't think Ruth is at all suitable for you. I wish you 

 had forgotten say Her Dearest Foe or Fair Carew (have you 

 thought of kidneys ?) or still more Emma. 



I should like you to see Dr Drummond again (let me pay 

 for him). ... I think R. is a little like your father in seeing 

 the downs more strongly than the ups (e.g. he always thought 

 my headaches worse than they were). I wish you could 

 play pat'en -e with your one poor hand. 



Her suggestion as to eating kidneys, so oddly thrown in, 

 was because I had great difficulty about food. She was 

 anxious I should be moved to the Grove as soon as it was 

 possible, and wrote as to this: (Oct. 25) ' If you had any 

 drawback (which I do not expect), I should be much less 

 uneasy while you were at hand and every improvement would 

 be noted and give me constant happiness. Also when you 

 were able to bear the open air, getting out of doors for five 

 or ten minutes here would be easier and more satisfactory 

 than in your own house. In spite of this my real wish is 

 that you should do what would be really best for you." 



I went home first but soon moved to the Grove, where I 

 had a delightfuly happy time, with her sheltering care about 

 me as if I was again a child. 



Jan. 30th, 1892. 



How I hate Thackeray's women. He makes Mrs Pen 

 and Laura behave exactly like the women in Ruth who 

 are so detestable, and Thackeray thinks it quite right. I 

 rejoiced when that tiresome Helen died and there was an 

 end to all the praises and raptures about her. 



