My dear Father,

On the open expanses of the Malvern hills there was not a trace of the parallel paths.² At one or two spots where donkey paths had been cut in the side of the hills on the steep part just above the path where the earth would tend to crumble down there were one or two ragged step like ridges, but they do not deserve the name of paths, & would often be caused by walking; of course it had been extremely dry for several weeks before we went to Malvern, & was dry almost the whole visit, so that castings would have not been washed away, so that I can safely say there is an almost entire absence or very great rarity of castings on the sides of the hills; there were some few on lower edges of the donkey paths where earth had accumulated, and below the paths where the grass was greener, also here & there on fairly level spots not high up. On the West as soon as you get off the syenite onto the Ludlow formation I found enormous quantities of castings evidently the collection of many weeks.³ On the Malvern hills the sheep seem to feed just as often, and perhaps rather oftener, ascending the hills than going across the slopes. So much for worms, and I doubt if it is worth boring you with it. I am much better, and we are both enjoying our visit.⁴ Effie is most pleasant in every way, and the Palgraves, and Hawkshaws I am glad to meet, also to have had a sight of Horace & Ida; I believe things went quite smoothly.⁵ I go to Southton tomorrow.⁶ I am so glad you did nothing but crush that lying venemous toad with the blue book.⁷

Goodbye dear Father | your affect. WED

Sara is well and enjoying this lovely place & we have fine weather. We were much overcome at the honour of being asked.