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Summary
Likes Mariane who is very good to Miss Jones; CD bought cakes in town while Mariane visited Miss Jones; he was embarrassed to be shown into her bedroom when he returned. Miss Clare has had an accident.
Transcription
My Dear friend,
You must known that I am very sorry about shakespeare when Maryane, told me to put it up,f2 and I like Mariane excessively, she is so very good to Miss Jone,f3 I will tell you a little accident that happened to me of course you know Miss Jones is in bed, and when I went there with Mariane last night, while she stoopped there I went in town and bought the cakes, and I came back sooner than Mariane was ready, and that foolish old man shoed in the bedroom then there was a bit of Kick-hoop, not that I went quite in, oh no, quite the reverse
Your affectionate
Justice brust with a nose as big as your fist
PS I hope you were not much alarmed at Miss Claref4 accident
January 4, 1822
Footnotes
- f1
- The friend has not been identified. See this volume, Supplement, letter to Dear Friend, 1 January 1822, n. 1.
- f2
- CD refers to his sister Marianne Darwin.
- f3
- Possibly Martha Jones, a housemaid, who appears in Robert Waring Darwin’s accounts as receiving money between 1817 and 1822 (DAR 227.5: 82, f. 51 and contents page). The local poor and sick whom Erasmus Alvey Darwin visited in 1826 included Mrs O. Jones (Correspondence vol. 1, letter from Susan Darwin, [27 March 1826]).
- f4
- Possibly Clare Leighton, a friend of the family (see Correspondence vol. 1, letter from Caroline and Susan Darwin, 2 [January 1826], and letter from Catherine Darwin, 15 January [1826]).