1860-1869] Catherine Darwin s Marriage 181 



sunny day to cheer them. I have no doubt that both 

 would prefer a quiet wedding-day, with no reminiscences 

 to sadden either party, and the wedding taking place now 

 will suit you all. . . . Think of Emma D. being, after long 

 deliberation, on the side of the Federals, whom I detest with 

 all the fire that is left me ! their hypocrisy respecting slavery 

 is most odious, and their treatment of the poor negroes 

 atrocious. 



The following letter is written in a tiny hand on a little 

 sheet of paper 3J" x 2J" : 



Emma Darwin to her son Leonard at school. 



DOWN, BROMLEY, KENT, Nov. 13, 1863. 

 MY DEAR LENNY, 



You cannot write as small as this I know. It is 

 done with your crow-quill. Your last letter was not inter- 

 esting, but very well spelt, which I care more about. 



We have a new horse on trial, very spirited and pleasant 

 and nice-looking, but I am afraid too cheap. Papa is much 

 better than when Frank was here. We have some stamps 

 for you: one Horace says is new Am. 5 cent. 



Yours, my dear old man, 



E. D. 



Begin your jerseys. 



My father continued wretchedly ill all through 1864, 

 though in the autumn there began to be a slight improve- 

 ment. He appears by her diary not to have left home at 

 all, and she for not more than a day or two. When he was 

 tolerably well 1 could now be left in charge for a short time. 

 She wrote to Fanny Allen (Nov. 22, 1864) : " I suppose you 

 have heard of Charles getting the Copley medal from the 

 Royal Society. He has been much pleased, but I think the 

 pleasantest part was the cordial feeling of his friends on the 



occasion. 1 



On June 4th of this year Emma Allen died, leaving 

 Fanny alone, the last survivor of her generation. 



