no A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, vni 



It is very lucky you are not near enough to commit the 

 imprudence of sending me your " white bonnet to be worn 

 at Embley." I shall not want a smart bonnet there, not 

 so much as at Down, and I have got my Leghorn, too smart 

 almost already. Be sure to dress yourself very handsomely 

 at Cresselly. . . . 



Fanny Allen to her niece Elizabeth Wedgwood. 



THE HERMITAGE, Thursday llih [Nov., 1847]. 



... I was yearning to write to you the few days of my 

 stay at Embley 1 [where] I spent a pleasant time in spite of 

 the greatest of my losses, Florence. I never liked Mr or 

 Mrs Nightingale so much before, and Hilary Carter and 

 Parthe are girls of extraordinary talents and understanding. 

 Mr N. has something of the charm of Mrs Toilet's simplicity. 

 He made us laugh heartily one day at dinner, when some 

 one observed on the character of Sismondi, of the interest 

 he took in people, when Mr Nightingale suspended his knife 

 and fork a little saying, "It is very amiable, but I can not 

 for the life of me feel that interest in anybody." He was 

 greeted with much laughter of course, but he continued 

 very grave, protesting his want of power. He made another 

 confession, that he was very malignant, which I do not see 

 any indication of, but he knows best. Florence's letters 

 were great treats. There were three of them during my 

 stay. She sees well and describes well. She mentioned 

 having seen the Nineveh bulls which have lately arrived at 

 Paris. They are exceedingly grand, 20 feet high, and 12 of 

 these are coming to England. What can we do with them ? 

 Where place them ? They have all been dug up at Nineveh. 

 The Bracebridges and Florence left Paris in the diligence for 

 Chalons. This new mode of travelling amuses Flo, and she 

 rather likes difficulties too. What a wife she would make 



1 The house of Mr Nightingale, father of Florence Nightingale and 

 Frances Parthenope, afterwards 2nd wife of Sir Harry Verney. 

 Hilary Bo nham -Carter was their first cousin. 





