Darwin visited The Mount, Shrewsbury for the 82nd birthday of his father who was now seriously ill. He became desperately ill himself and returned home to be nursed by Emma who gave birth to their third son in August, then in November was devastated when his father died. Emma sustained him, and they read religious books together. In February 1849 he drew some comfort from Harriet Martineau's new "Eastern Life, Past and Present", a travelogue of tombs with the message that Christian beliefs in reward and punishment were founded in heathen superstitions.