1 8 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, i 



and goodness, as well as a brother of theirs, a young clergy- 

 man. The presence of so much goodness made Georgina 

 feel very good too, for she was in the happiest state of 

 affectation I ever saw. 



I admire your little pasteur'8 daughter extremely, but 

 I think she should have been a little more sorry for the 

 baronet, though he was rich. 



Mama is quite well. I must tell you what sort of a house 

 ours is that you may fancy me. A front drawing-room with 

 three windows, and a back one, rather smaller, with a cheer- 

 ful look-out on a set of little gardens, which will be of great 

 value to us in summer to take a mouthful of fresh air; and 

 that will be our sitting-room for quietness' sake. It is 

 furnished, but rather ugly. Goodbye, my dearest, no more 

 room. 



It was evident that in choosing their house they neither 

 of them gave a thought to its looks. That it should be 

 cheap and have the requisite number of rooms and be in a 

 part of London where they wished to live were the sole 

 considerations. 



This house, 12, Upper Gower Street (afterwards 110, 

 Grower Street), is now part of Shoolbred's premises. I well 

 remember how my father often laughed over the ugliness of 

 the furniture with which they began life. ' Macaw Cot- 

 tage ' he christened the house in allusion to the gaudy 

 colours of the walls and furniture. 



diaries Darwin to Emma Wedgwood. 



Saturday Afternoon [29 December, 1838]. 



MY DEAR EMMA, 



I arn tired with having been all day at business 

 work, but I cannot let a post go by without writing to tell 

 you Gower Street is ours, yellow curtains and all. I have 

 to-day paid some advance money, signed an agreement, and 

 had the key given over to me, and the old woman informed 

 me I was her master henceforth. ... I long for the day 

 when we shall enter the house together; how glorious it 

 will be to see you seated by the fire of our own house. Oh, 



