My dear Charles,

You must forgive my sending you a very dull letter but I have been used rather unfairly— it is Catherines month & she did not tell me this moment that she has not even begun a letter to you & today being the last day I will not fail in my promise of writing myself when the others forget— My Father is very well, which I know is the main thing so it will not matter how little else I have to tell. I remember the anxious feeling I had even during my 3 months in France last year & it is impossible to shake it off when at a distance & for any reason not in good spirits. Your last letter which I answered the middle of December was the one to Susan just before you were to sail from Monte Video. I do hope my very dear Charles the cold & rains whilst coasting Patagonia have not made you ill— we are all impatient for your next letter, & if you find all these changes of Climate do not agree with your health come home & think of your snug parsonage— I finished my last letter at Overton. Parky & Henry feel proud in finding the place on the Map where their Uncle Charles is— Parky is growing very manly coming on nicely in his Latin & the most regular flirt I ever beheld. the week after I came home we had a visit from our new member Uncle Jos.¹ he seems very much pleased to have been returned with such a fine Majority & he says he has been at no expence & no trouble doing nothing but what his Committee ordered him & they were very merciful he even escaped being chaired—² he says he can not afford to bring his family with him to London but I think they expect to go at least for some months— Parliament meets the 31^st. of Jan^y—so he will soon have to leave Maer I hope the experiment will answer to him & that he will not repent— Jessie came with Uncle Jos & they staid two days.— it happened most unfortunately that we all three were going the very evening they arrived (unexpectedly) to Eaton to see a Play acted by the Family party of Williams’s, Owens & Whites— poor Sarah herself did not act— The Owen constitution has quite failed & she is in a very delicate state of health. She looks very unwell & is out of spirits about herself thinking she shall never get strong & well again & can bear no exertion or fatigue

The piece they acted was The Irish Tutor a merry little bustling farce³ & they all played their parts very well— there was afterwards a dance— All the rest of this month has passed perfectly quietly We play at Whist every evening with Papa & I think he seems quite as happy & comfortable as he used to be some years ago— Last week was the New Hunt week. We had nobody with us but the 2 Clives of Styche & Caroline Owen.— M^r. Edward Williams died the beginning of the week so there was no party at Eaton— M^r. Tom Pemberton⁴ is also dead. that y⁠⟨⁠ou⁠⟩⁠ may know what is going on in this neighbourhood, there have been no marriages except Sir T. Boughy to Miss Louisa Giffard—⁵ the Hunt ball I did not go to— M^rs. Biddulph was there looking very handsome but I suspect she must find M^r. Biddulph a tiresome person to live with— I am sure he is very selfish he has gained his election & is returned for Denbighshire. Your Pincher & Nina are both very well, I am about buying from Joseph your Grey horse I have tried him & I like him very much as far as I can judge—

Erasmus has been very gay at Parties at Lady Giffords & the Hensleighs &^tc. he has not written very lately. M^rs. Hensleigh is to be confined the beginning of next month so I suppose he can not be junkitting at her house now— Susan & Cath are going to two balls next week & I suppose these balls are Cattys excuse for not having written

they & Papa send their love to you and believe me my dear old fellow, with my own best love to you | Y^rs affec^ly Caroline Darwin

It is too late to wish you a happy new year—but I do wish it—