52 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, in 



more for him. It is a great advantage to have the power of 

 expressing affection, and I am sure he will make his children 

 very fond of him. I have been pretty well coaxed and 

 spoilt all my life but I am more than ever now, so I hope 

 it does one no harm, but I don't think it does. 



I have no doubt it will be a painful moment to you 

 when you see Papa and Mamma at first, but I think you 

 will find that Mamma's affections are much more alive than 

 when you saw her last, though I suppose her mind is cer- 

 tainly much weaker. She lights up occasionally very much 

 into her old self. Mr Clifford was very charming and nice 

 to her, and I think his visit at Maer was a satisfaction to 

 him. I was very glad to catch him, as I had been longing 

 to see him again these 20 years, and he was very much his 

 old self, only grown very old. I am glad you like Charles 

 Langton. It is a pretty part of his character his fondness 

 for Mamma. Charlotte told me that he seemed to see 

 through her into what she had been, more than she should 

 have thought possible in a person who had not known her 

 before. I am going this evening to take Fanny [Hensieigh] 

 and the children to see the illuminations for the Queen's 

 marriage. I am sorry the rabblement have such a rainy 

 day for seeing the fun. 



I have been reading Carlyle, like all the rest of the world. 

 He fascinates one and puts one out of patience. He has 

 been writing a sort of pamphlet on the state of England 

 called " Chartism." It is full of compassion and good 

 feeling but utterly unreasonable. Charles keeps on reading 

 and abusing him. He is very pleasant to talk to anyhow, 

 he is so very natural, and I don't think his writings at all 

 so. Write to me soon like a good soul, and I never will 

 be so long again. Goodbye, my dearest. My best of loves 

 to M. Sis. The baby performed his first smile to-day, 

 great event. 



