1840-1842] A Journey to Shrewsbury 53 



Charles Darwin to Emma Darwin. 



MY DEAR EMMA, Sunday, SHREWSBURY [5 April, 1840]. 



You are a good old soul for having written to me 

 so soon. I, like another good old soul, will give you an 

 account of my proceedings from the beginning. At the 

 station I met Sir F. Knowles, but was fortunate enough to 

 get into a separate carriage from that chatterbox. In my 

 carriage there was rather an elegant female, like a thin 

 Lady Alderson, but so virtuous that I did not venture to 

 open my mouth to her. She came with some female friend, 

 also a lady, and talked at the door of the carriage in so 

 loud a voice that we all listened with silent admiration. 

 It was chiefly about family prayers, and how she always had 

 them at half -past 10 not to keep the servants up. She 

 then charged her friend to write to her either on Saturday 

 night or Monday morning, Sunday being omitted in the 

 most marked manner. Our companion answered in the 

 most pious tone, " Yes, Eliza, I will write either on Saturday 

 night or on Monday morning." As soon as we started our 

 virtuous female pulled out of her pocket a religious tract 

 and a very thick pencil. She then took off her gloves and 

 commenced reading with great earnestness, and marking 

 the best passages with the aforesaid thick lead-pencil. 

 Her next neighbour was an old gentleman with a porten- 

 tously purple nose, who was studying a number of the 

 Christian Herald, and his next neighbour was the primmest 

 she- Quaker I have ever seen. Was not I in good company ? 

 I never opened my mouth and therefore enjoyed my journey. 

 At Birmingham I was kept standing in the office three- 

 quarters of an hour in doubt whether I could have a place, 

 and I was so tired that I regretted much that I took one. 

 However to my surprise the journey rested me and I arrived 

 very brisk at Shrewsbury. In the office at Birmingham I 

 was aghast to see Mr J. H., an indomitable proser, taking 

 his place. He did not know me, as I found by his addressing 

 a chance remark to me, and I was instantly resolved on the 

 desperate attempt of travelling the whole way incognito. 



