My dear Sir

I am very much obliged for your note & kind enquiries about our poor eldest daughter.—   she steadily, but very slowly, improves improves in health; & as she has a wish to try sea-air, we all move to sea-side in a few days‘ time.—² On our return I shall be most glad to take advantage of your kindness & send Leonard twice a week to you.³ As he is rather slow & backward (in part owing to loss of time from ill-health) it has occurred to us, that if it did not prove inconvenient to you, it might be better (until the days became too short,) for him to come to you on any two days in the afternoon a little before 3 oclock after his dinner. For by this means he would not lose his whole mornings, & he has much to make up. Frank, though put in a rather low form, keeps at the top in every subject;⁴ & I am rather glad, considering his susceptibility, that he was put rather low, so as to master thoroughily all he has to do.—

I see by my accounts that my two Boys came to you for a fortnight after the last quarter was paid & I suppose it will be fair if I include this time in the next quarter, or ought broken time to rank as a full quarter—   Perhaps you will kindly at some future time inform me.—   I will let you know when we return in about a month’s time; & then you can, if you please, let me hear about the afternoons for a month or so.—

With very sincere thanks for all your kindness & with our best compliments to M^rs Reed. Pray believe me | Yours very sincerely | C. Darwin