2(>o A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, xviu 



can screw ii j) courage enough to take an initiative in any- 

 thing: but I am scrupulously exact in answering; that I 



premise you and that 



I am, 



Very sincerely yours, 



ANTHONY RICH. 



Leonard Darwin married Elizabeth Fraser, the sister of a 

 brother ofVicrr (now (General Sir Thomas Fraser), in the 

 summer of lSSi\ Leonard was working at the Staff College 

 at Camberley, 



My mother spent the summer of 1882 at Down, but 

 she felt, that the winters in the great empty house would 

 be lonely, and she therefore deeided to spend part of eaeh 

 year at Cambridge, where two of her sons, George and 

 Horace, were living, and where her son Francis could better 

 go on with his botanical work. 



She therefore bought "The Grove," a pleasant house on 

 the Huntingdon Koad, a mile from great St Mary's, and 

 there she spent the winters till her death. She thus de- 

 M -il>ed the garden: 'I think the Grove garden is the very 

 place for an old person, such nooks and corners for shelter 

 and seats." It had old walls and spreading wych elnis which 

 gave it eharm and individuality. 



Before she left Oown. Sir Joseph Hooker came to pay her 

 a visit. MY father had been more attached to him than to 



i 



anvone out side his own family. She wrote that he was a 



V V 



good deal agitated on coming in. Another farewell visit 

 was from Ladv IVrbY. "At 1. ea:ne Lady Derby all 



* * V 



the wav from London and straight back again. She was 







6 depr ! almost all the visit, and I felt impelled to 

 talk a little openly to her. and everything she said was 

 so feeing and tasteful. Then Frank came in I she 

 discussed the difficulties of the Life with him and was very 

 nice." 



A great pleasure to her at Cambridge was the little 

 Krasmus. then eleven months old. She wrote: 'It is 

 pK | work feeding Erasmus. 1 was giving him little 

 crumbs of cake and he standing d^elin^ for more. H 



v~ ~ 



every day in his chair at luncheon and insists upon having a. 



cat deal of pudding besides his own broth, flapping his tins 

 between each mouthful." 



My father and mother were so little separated after 

 ;e that she had but few letters besides those written 



