1838-1839] Emma tells Jessie of Her Engagement 5 



I would tear this letter up, and write it again, for it is a 

 very silly one, but I can't write a better one. 



Since writing the former part the post has brought in 

 your own dear note to Katty. You tell me to be a good 

 boy, and so I must be, but let me earnestly beg of you 

 not to make up your mind in a hurry : you say truly Elizabeth 

 never thinks of herself, but there is another person who never 

 thinks of herself, but now she has to think of two people, 

 and I am, thank Heaven for it, that other person. You must 

 be absolute arbitress, but do, dear Emma, remember life 

 is short, and two months is the sixth part of the year, and 

 that year, the first, from which for my part, things shall 

 hereafter date. Whatever you do will be right, but it 

 will be too good to be unselfish for me until I am part of you 

 Dearest Emma, good-bye. 



Emma Wedgwood to Madame Sismondi. 



MY DEAR AUNT JESSIE, MAEK Nov - im C 1838 1- 



Nothing is pleasanter than writing good news, and 

 I am sure you will be pleased with what I have to tell you. 

 When you asked me about Charles Darwin, I did not tell 

 you half the good I thought of him for fear you should 

 suspect something, and though I knew how much I liked 

 him, I was not the least sure of his feelings, as he is so 

 affectionate, and so fond of Maer and all of us, and demon- 

 strative in his manners, that I did not think it meant any- 

 thing, and the week I spent in London on my return from 

 Paris, I felt sure he did not care about me, only that he 

 was very unwell at the time. He came to see us in the 

 month of August, was in very high spirits and I was very 

 happy in his company, and had the feeling that if he saw 

 more of me, he would really like me. He came down again 

 last Thursday with aunt Fanny, and on Sunday he spoke 

 to me, which was quite a surprise, as I thought we might 

 go on in the sort of friendship we were in for years, and 

 very likely nothing come of it after all. I was too much 

 bewildered all day to feel my happiness and there was a 



