Dabton
Tuesday July 25^th 1871

My dear Papa,

I write to you from the sofa, which I have attained to for the second time, today – Yesterday afternoon I was up on it for two hours, so you see I am getting on very well – Baby might go out now, as far as her age is concerned, and we have got a hood for her, but the weather is so changeable & stormy that it is out of the question – this afternoon is beautiful, but it rained the whole morning, and there is a very high wind – There is a pretty little crimson pink growing on the lawn here wild in the grass – I send you a Specimen, it seems to me like a variety of D. deltoides – which you sent me the seed of two years ago – but it has not the white centre – and it has a more straggling habit of growth – Tell us what you think it is – John meant to write to you every day, but he has always such arrears of letters to make up, that I think there is little chance of his doing so – Jack wrote in a very delighted manner about his little sister – he says he was very much surprised, & that he is “longing to see her”! He had been working hard for the examination, which had interfered with his writing at once – he was very much afraid we should not understand why he did not write directly – I am so glad Noel’s & Emily’s visit has turned out so pleasantly – Love to all –

y^r affec^te daughter
Tilly