Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- DRAMATIS PERSONAE
- ALLEN PEDIGREE
- WEDGWOOD PEDIGREE
- DARWIN PEDIGREE
- CHAPTER I Characteristics of Emma Darwin
- CHAPTER II 1840–1842
- CHAPTER III 1842
- CHAPTER IV DOWN
- CHAPTER V 1843–1845
- CHAPTER VI 1846
- CHAPTER VII 1847–1848
- CHAPTER VIII 1849–1851
- CHAPTER IX 1851
- CHAPTER X 1851–1853
- CHAPTER XI 1853–1859
- CHAPTER XII 1860–1869
- CHAPTER XIII 1870–1871
- CHAPTER XIV 1872–1876
- CHAPTER XV 1876–1880
- CHAPTER XVI 1880–1882
- CHAPTER XVII 1882–1884
- CHAPTER XVIII 1885–1888
- CHAPTER XIX 1888–1891
- CHAPTER XX 1892–1895
- CHAPTER XXI 1896
- INDEX
- A POSTSCRIPT TO “EMMA DARWIN: A CENTURY OF FAMILY LETTERS”
- Plate section
CHAPTER XXI - 1896
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
- DRAMATIS PERSONAE
- ALLEN PEDIGREE
- WEDGWOOD PEDIGREE
- DARWIN PEDIGREE
- CHAPTER I Characteristics of Emma Darwin
- CHAPTER II 1840–1842
- CHAPTER III 1842
- CHAPTER IV DOWN
- CHAPTER V 1843–1845
- CHAPTER VI 1846
- CHAPTER VII 1847–1848
- CHAPTER VIII 1849–1851
- CHAPTER IX 1851
- CHAPTER X 1851–1853
- CHAPTER XI 1853–1859
- CHAPTER XII 1860–1869
- CHAPTER XIII 1870–1871
- CHAPTER XIV 1872–1876
- CHAPTER XV 1876–1880
- CHAPTER XVI 1880–1882
- CHAPTER XVII 1882–1884
- CHAPTER XVIII 1885–1888
- CHAPTER XIX 1888–1891
- CHAPTER XX 1892–1895
- CHAPTER XXI 1896
- INDEX
- A POSTSCRIPT TO “EMMA DARWIN: A CENTURY OF FAMILY LETTERS”
- Plate section
Summary
During the last year of my mother's life her health was better than it had been for some years. Her letters show how full of energy, vigour, and enjoyment she was, and her power of living in the lives of those she cared for made her really enjoy their pleasures at secondhand, and kept many avenues to life open that are often closed to the old. It was difficult to remember that she would be eighty-eight on May 2nd of this year.
From about 1892 she put down in her diary all the letters she wrote, almost daily to one or other of her children and many to her friends; but besides these it is characteristic to note the number where the object of writing was to give pleasure or help, perhaps to an old servant or to an invalid, or to someone whose life was bare of enjoyment.
Jan. 15th, 1896.
Bessy and I have been very quiet except a pleasant sight of Ellen. I feel it pleasant to be silent and quiet for a bit. I am flattered by the warm tone of Lady Derby's note; but when she calls my letter charming, I feel a little like William when Mrs T. called him a “sweet boy.” […]
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Emma Darwin, Wife of Charles DarwinA Century of Family Letters, pp. 449 - 466Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1904