288 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, xx 



the arrival of the George Darwins. My sister told me that 

 she thought my mother flagged in spirits on each arrival, 

 eager as she was to go there, and dearly as she loved the 

 place. ' My affection for Down increases with years." 

 she wrote. Perhaps she felt as if it was coming back to 

 my father and the blank depressed her at first. 



DOWN, June 16, 1890. 



The children came on Saturday an hour late. Yesterday 

 was bright and rather cold. Gwenny on the broad grin all 

 day, saying ' : What a nice place Down is " at intervals, and 

 Boy very happy too. I went to the coucher yesterday and 

 found them so utterly tipsy that how they were ever got 

 into their night-gowns and into bed, I could not imagine. 

 The baby lay placidly with her bottle, and eyes wide open 

 in the uproar. 



June 20th, 1890. 



Yesterday was pleasant and bright. George took Gwenny 

 a walk by Cudham Lodge to the Salt-Box and then along 

 that ridge below. I saw her coming home perfectly fresh 

 and laden with flowers and one strawberry. G. said she 

 had been in an ecstasy the whole way, and he looked full 

 of enjoyment himself. He hit upon a lovely picnic place, 

 an old chalk-pit, but I believe it would do just as well to go 

 to some place near at hand. With older children a new and 

 romantic place is a great additional charm. 



DOWN, July 6th, 1890. 



We had fires all over the house as the day was bitter 

 a sort of day when one hates the very sight of the flower 

 garden. 



Emma Danvin to her son Leonard. 



THE GROVE, October I4th, 1890. 



Cambridge is all upside down about Sequah, a quack 

 doctor who holds meetings twice every day and is attended 

 by thousands. 



