1849-1851] Elizabeth's Generosity 125 



white one, with a rich and harmonious coloured border, no 

 one colour predominating. I hope it will not be long before 

 you yourself will see and admire it. I wish you were half 

 as generous to yourself as you are to others, but I, with this 

 wish in my teeth, would not change a bit in your sweet 

 character, and I thank heaven you are with us, to teach the 

 young as well as us old ones all that is actively kind and 

 generous. 



Adieu, my most dear and tender Elizabeth, I will not 

 guarantee that your shawl will not cost me a few tears when 

 I put it on. They will be those of love and tenderness. . . . 



Madame Sismondi to her niece Elizabeth Wedgwood. 



Nov. 20 [1849]. 



. . . You were right, dear E.,I was too severe on New- 

 man, 1 I was, what I called him, presumptuous. There are 

 many striking, wise and good things in the first part of his 

 book, so that the latter part falls on you with the shock of 

 a shower-bath, and disposes one to think and say hard 

 things. . . . We have none of us to choose our religion. 

 It comes to us by the atmosphere in which we live, we 

 modify it afterwards according to our different minds, and 

 many by our hearts only, as myself, for my mind would 

 help me little, I am afraid. The Trinity which puzzles 

 thinkers does not me, because I feel in myself three distinct 

 parts, mind, body, heart (or the affections properly speaking 

 I suppose). I imagine these in immeasurably greater per- 

 fection in the Deity. Why may not He separate or unite 

 them at will ? Why may not Love pure and universal 

 have incarnated itself for our redemption ? I see no im- 

 possibility to God. Neither do I think He requires us to 

 make out His nature clearly to our understandings, indeed 

 Christ has told us we cannot, and I am content to wait. 



1 Francis William Newman (1805 1897), brother of Cardinal 

 Newman. The Soul was published in 1847. His views were un- 

 orthodox and he was eager for a religion which would include all 

 that was best in '.ill historical religions. 



