183&-1839] Wedding Clothes ' 17 



warmest gratitude and affection in return for yours. I am 

 going to write about dress and all sorts of frivolity to aunt 

 Jessie, as I think it will suit her better than you, so I will 

 wish you goodbye, my very dear uncle, and believe me, yours 

 affectionately, EMMA W. Papa wishes to speak for him- 

 self. 



Thank you, my dear aunt Jessie, for your warm con- 

 gratulations and sympathy with my happiness. I was very 

 glad to return home last Saturday, as I grudge every day 

 away from home now. Fanny and Hensleigh look so com- 

 fortable in their nice little house that I feel quite sorry 

 to think how soon they must give it up. We had a fly 

 every day and used to go into town to look at houses and 

 [buy] my clothes, and I think I have obeyed your orders, 

 for though I have not bought many tilings, they are all 

 very dear and the milliner's bill would do your heart good 

 to see. I have bought a sort of greenish-grey rich silk for 

 the wedding, which I expect papa to approve of entirely, 

 and a remarkably lovely white chip bonnet trimmed with 

 blonde and flowers. Harriet has given me a very hand- 

 some p]aid satin, a dark one, which is very gorgeous, hand- 

 somely made up with black lace; and that and my blue 

 Paris gown, which I have only worn once, and the other 

 blue and white sort of thing will set me up for the present. 

 Jessie and Susan gave Fanny strict orders not to let me be 

 shabby. (And a grand velvet shawl too.) Our gaieties 

 were first going to the play, which Charles actually proposed 

 to do himself but I am afraid it was only a little shewing 

 off. It was the Tempest, and we all thought it very tire- 

 some (I shall like plays I know still, notwithstanding). 

 We also went to a party at Sir Robert Inglis's, who is the 

 kindest of men and shook me by the hand " till our hearts 

 were like to break," and I did not know when we could leave 

 off again. 



Another day we dined at the Aldersons and met a family 

 of Sam Hoares. I thought I knew the young ladies' faces 

 very well, and soon discovered that they had come over in 

 the steam-boat with us. They all looked full of happiness 



