124 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, ix 



Madame Sismondi to her niece Elizabeth Wedgwood. 



SHREWSBURY, August 28 [1849]. 



I did enjoy surpassingly the greatest part of my N. Wales 

 tour. Indeed I might say all. I sometimes felt as one 

 intoxicated. I do not believe there is anybody in the world 

 that can so completely turn the key on all that is in the heart 

 as I can. I do not respect myself the more for it perhaps, 

 but how gratefully do I accept the disposition. . . . Emma 

 [Allen] enjoyed her visit here thoroughly and that is a great 

 pleasure to me. She has not feared to make a stay that 

 alarmed me, and that I am very glad comes to an end to- 

 morrow for the Darwins' sake, for nothing can be more 

 luxuriously housed than we are, and the place is so pretty, 

 so exquisitely comfortable, that for creature comforts we 

 could nowhere be so well. But I am ashamed to say of 

 people young enough to be my children, I am in soggezione 

 of all the Darwins, men and women. What can be the 

 reason ? for never was there such kind, such tender attention 

 not even in our own nieces, particularly in the dear Susan 

 whom i love. But she too imposes on me. . . . 



Fanny Allen to her niece Elizabeth Wedgwood. 



42, CHESTER TERRACE, Wednesday [29 Aug., 1849]. 



MY DEAR ELIZABETH, 



I was so much shocked that Mrs Rich was engaged 

 to buy me a shawl from you, after all you have spent for 

 me, that I begged that she would not go on with her pur- 

 chase, but she said her commands were positive. So that 

 the proper thing for me to do now, is to thank you more 

 warmly and tenderly than any words I have at hand can 

 convey, for your ever watchful kindness and your un- 

 bounded generosity. I should however have preferred 

 seeing a very beautiful shawl, which Mrs Rich (whose taste 

 in this article is particularly good) has chosen, on your dear 

 shoulders rather than on my own. It is a very elegant 



