2 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, i 



I hardly expected such good fortune would turn up for 

 me. I shall be in town in the middle or latter end of the 

 ensuing week. I fear you will say I might very well have 

 left my story untold till we met. But I deeply feel your 

 kindness and friendship towards me, which in truth, I may 

 say, has been one chief source of happiness to me ever 

 since my return to England : so you must excuse me. I am 

 well sure, that Mrs Lyell, who has sympathy for everyone 

 near her, will give me her hearty congratulations. 



Believe me my dear Lyell, 



Yours most truly obliged, 



CHAS. DAB WIN. 



Dr Darwin to Josiah Wedgwood. 



DEAR WEDGWOOD, SHREWSBURY, 13 Nov. 1838. 



Emma having accepted Charles gives me as great 

 happiness as Jos having married Caroline, and I cannot 

 say more. 



On that marriage Bessy said she should not have had 

 more pleasure if it had been Victoria, and you may assure 

 her I feel as grateful to her for Emma, as if it had been 

 Martineau herself that Charles had obtained. Pray give 

 my love to Elizabeth, I fear I ought to condole with her, as 

 the loss will be very great. 



Ever, dear Wedgwood, your affectionate Brother, 



R. W. DARWIN. 



Josiah Wedgwood to Dr Darwin. 



MY DEAR DOCTOR, MAEE 15 Nov -> 1838 - 



A good, chearful, and affectionate daughter is the 

 greatest blessing a man can have, after a good wife if 

 I could have given such a wife to Charles without parting 

 with a daughter there would be no drawback from my 

 entire satisfaction in bestowing Emma upon him. You 

 lately gave up a daughter it is my turn now. At our 

 time of life our happiness must be in a great measure re- 



