From Emma Darwin to W. D. Fox [29 September 1863]
Malvern Wells
Tuesday.
Dear Mr Fox
I am writing instead of Charles to thank you for your precise answer to his enquiry.1 I am glad to say that by the help of your directions & the lady at whose house our poor Annie lodged we have found the tomb stone.2 It is very much covered with trees & looks so green & old I am sure I looked at it many times thinking it quite out of the question that should be it. Also the iron palisades are gone, at least both the sexton3 & lady thought there had been rails round it, but that does not signify. This has been a great relief.
Charles has been quite ill last week but for the last 5 days he has decidedly improved, but I expect his recovery will be very slow.4
We like Dr Ayerst tho’ he has not the influence of Dr Gully. Dr G. it is hopeless to try to see tho’ I must say he has been to see Ch. twice & he quite approves of his treatment.5 He takes 2 or 3 wet rubbings in the day & small walks in the garden, but he is weak— Our stay here has however been of real use to our sick boy & put us on a better system with him.6 Ch. appetite is so good I think he must get strength soon & he has struggled on for 5 days without sickness.
I sent you a paper concocted between Ch. & myself wisely directed to Delamere Droitwich & so I will put in another in hopes you may employ it in some way.7 I have met with a good deal of encouragement & I see it today in the Worcester paper endorsed by the Member of Parliament8
Will you remember us both very kindly to Mrs Fox9 & | believe me | yours very sincerely | E. Darwin
Footnotes
Bibliography
Browne, Janet. 1990. Spas and sensibilities: Darwin at Malvern. In The medical history of waters and spas, edited by Roy S. Porter. Medical History, supp. 10. London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine.
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Dod’s parliamentary companion: The parliamentary pocket companion … compiled from official documents, and from the personal communications of members of both houses. Dod’s parliamentary companion. London: Whittaker, Treacher, & Arnot; Whittaker & Co. 1833–1914.
Post Office directory of Birmingham: Post Office directory of Birmingham, Warwickshire, and part of Staffordshire. Kelly’s directory of Birmingham, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. London: W. Kelly; Kelly & Co. 1845–1928.
Post Office directory of Cheshire: Post Office directory of Cheshire. Kelly’s directory of Cheshire. London: Kelly & Co. 1857–1902.
Summary
Thanks to WDF’s directions, Anne’s tombstone has been found.
CD improved, but recovery is slow. She describes treatment.
Encloses paper she and CD have written [see 4294, which was wrongly addressed by ED and had not reached WDF].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4312
- From
- Emma Wedgwood/Emma Darwin
- To
- William Darwin Fox
- Sent from
- Malvern Wells
- Postmark
- SP 29 63
- Source of text
- Christ’s College Library, Cambridge (Fox 141)
- Physical description
- ALS 6pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4312,” accessed on 14 October 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4312.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 11