1839] The Death of Caroline s Baby 27 



Monday or Tuesday we are going to give our first dinner- 

 party to the Hensleighs and Erasmus. I hope the H.'s will 

 sleep here, we shall see them so much more comfortably. 

 I came away full of love and gratitude to all the dear 

 affectionate faces I left behind me. They are too many to 

 particularize. Tell my dear Eliz. I long to hear from her. 

 Nothing can be too minute from dear home. I was very 

 sorry to leave Caroline so uneasy and looking so unwell. I 

 am impatient to hear of her and the baby. I don't know 

 how to express affection enough to my dear, kind Papa, but 

 he will take it upon trust. 



Good-bye, my dearest Mamma, 



Your affectionate and very happy daughter, 



E. D. 



Elizabeth Wedgwood to her aunt Fanny Allen. 



MY DEAR FANNY, MAER, Friday, Feb. 1, 1839. 



I have no heart to write you an account of the 

 wedding, it has had such a sad sequel. Yesterday Caroline 

 lost her poor baby . . . She is as miserable as anyone 

 can be, but she exerts herself very much, and I think the 

 best thing to counterbalance her own grief will be her 

 anxiety about Jos. Of course the chief part of his feeling 

 is for her, but he often cannot command himself when he 

 is sitting with her, and is obliged to leave the room. She 

 came into my mother's room to see us two hours after its 

 death, which I took exceedingly kindly of her, and came 

 into the drawing-room this evening to see my mother again 

 and Charles [Langton] whom she had not seen. She does 

 her utmost not to yield, but she is very unwell and I never 

 felt greater pity for anyone in my life. It is quite affecting 

 to see poor dear Jos's face and hear his depressed voice. 

 The Dr [Dr Darwin] came yesterday at 5, and C. had a 

 good deal of comfort in talking over everything with him, 

 the more so, I have no doubt, from the exceeding interest 

 he has always taken in the poor little thing. The funeral 

 is to be to-morrow Susan and Charlotte, as well as my 



