1838-1839] Drinking Tea with the Carlyles 13 



Charles Darwin to Emma Wedgwood. 



[Postmark, 23 Nov., 1838], ATHEN^UM, Tuesday Night. 



... I positively can do nothing, and have done nothing 

 this whole week, but think of you and our future life. You 

 may then well imagine how I enjoy seeing your hand- 

 writing. I should have written yesterday but waited for 

 your letter : pray do not talk of my waiting till I have time 

 for writing or inclination to do so. It is a very high en- 

 joyment to me, as I cannot talk to you, and feel your pres- 

 ence by having your own dear hand within mine. I will now 

 relate my annals : On Saturday I dined with the Lyells, and 

 spent one of the pleasant est evenings I ever did in my life. 

 Lyell grew quite audacious at the thoughts of having a 

 married geological companion, and proposed going to dine 

 at the Athenaeum together and leaving our wives at home. 

 Poor man, he would as soon ' ' eat his head ' ' as do such an 

 action, whilst I feel as yet as bold as a lion. We had much 

 geological and economical talk, the latter very profitable. 

 By the way if you will take my advice, you will not think 

 of reading [Lyell's] Elements [of Geology], for depend upon 

 it you will hereafter have plenty of geology. On Sunday 

 evening Erasmus took me to drink tea with the Carlyles; 

 it was my first visit. One must always like Thomas, and I 

 felt particularly well towards him, as Erasmus had told me 

 he had propounded that a certain lady was one of the 

 nicest girls he had ever seen. Jenny [Mrs Carlyle] sent 

 some civil messages to you, but which, from the effects of 

 an hysterical sort of giggle, were not very intelligible. It 

 is high treason, but I cannot think that Jenny is either quite 

 natural or lady-like. . . . 



And now for the great question of houses. Erasmus 

 and myself have taken several very long walks; and the 

 difficulties are really frightful. Houses are very scarce and 

 the landlords are all gone mad, they ask such prices. 

 Erasmus takes it to heart even more than I do, and de- 

 clares I ought to end all my letters to you " yours incon- 



