6 A Century of Family Letters LCHAP. i 



large party in the house, so we did not tell anybody except 

 Papa and Elizabeth and Catherine. Dear Papa, I wish 

 you could have seen his tears of joy, for he has always 

 had a great regard for Charles, and Charles looks up to 

 him with the greatest reverence and affect ion. I believe 

 we both looked very dismal (as he had a bad headache) 

 for when ./ant Fanny and Jessie [Wedgwood] went to bed 

 they were wondering what was the matter and almost 

 thought something quite the reverse had happened. Fanny 

 Hensleigh was 'cuter, and knew quite well what had hap- 

 pened. I went into their rooms at night, and we had a 

 large party talking it over till very late, when I was seized 

 with hunger, and Hensleigh went down to forage in the 

 kitchen and found a loaf and 2 Ib. butter and a carving 

 knife, which made us an elegant refection. Catherine was 

 delighted, indeed I was so glad to find that all of them 

 had been wishing for it and settling it. It is a match that 

 every soul has been maldng for us, so we could not have 

 helped it if we had not liked it ourselves. He and Catherine 

 went off to Shrewsbury on Monday, so that I had not much 

 to do with him, but we had time for some satisfactory little 

 talks which made us feel at ease. 



I must now tell you what I think of him, first premising 

 that Eliz. thinks pretty nearly the same, as my opinion 

 may not go for much with you. He is the most open, 

 transparent man I ^ver saw, and every word expresses his 

 real thoughts. He is particularly affectionate and very nice 

 to his father and sisters, and perfectly sweet tempered, 

 and possesses some minor qualities that add particularly to 

 one's happiness, such as not being fastidious, and being 

 humane to animals. We shall live in London, where he is 

 fully occupied with being Secretary to the Geological 

 Society and conducting a publication upon the animals of 

 Australia. 1 I am so glad he is a busy man. Dear Eliz. 

 rejoices most sweetly with me and forgets herself entirely, 

 as, without meaning a compliment to myself, I am afraid 

 she must miss me very much. I am sure I could not have 



1 The Zoology of the Voyage of the "Beagle." 



