My dear old Willy

I have been intending for some time to write to you, but had not much to say, & that is pretty nearly the case at present.— Mamma was to have started for Shrewsbury & Barlaston² on Saturday, but the Baby³ is not quite well, so she has put it off for a week. Georgy is terribly disappointed, for he now as much likes going from home, as he formerly did not care about it. All day long Georgy is drawing ships or soldiers, more especially drummers, whom he will talk about as long as anyone will listen to him.—⁴

Henry Hemmings & Martha⁵ went yesterday to the Great Exhibition & found it immensely full. Thank goodness, we have got rid of all the workmen, & the stairs look very well.⁶ Yesterday we gathered the Pears off one of the trees on the wall, & there were 93 splendid fellows; I think & hope these will not all be ripe & eaten up before your return.⁷ I am reading a Book on Chemistry, called “Familiar Letters on Chemistry”,⁸ & this makes me often think of you in the evenings. It will be dreadful dirty walking for us in the morning, next holidays.—

I hope that you will think sometimes about what we talked about one of the last mornings.— You will surely find that the greatest pleasure in life is in being beloved; & this depends almost more on pleasant manners, than on being kind with grave & gruff manners. You are almost always kind & only want the more easily acquired external appearance. Depend upon it, that the only way to acquire pleasant manners is to try to please everybody you come near, your school-fellows, servants & everyone. Do, my own dear Boy, sometimes think over this, for you have plenty of sense & observation.

Love from Mamma. | Your’s affectionately. | C. Darwin