1839] The Sunday-School at Maer 35 



Elizabeth Wedgwood to her sister Emma Darwin. 



MAER, Sunday Morning [3 March, 1839]. 

 MY DEAR EMMA, 



It is really quite luxurious of a Sunday morning to 

 find myself with nothing to do. 1 I am beginning this letter 

 to you purely to say how pleasant it is. I feel so idle I can 

 hardly sit to anything else. How much obliged I am to 

 the beggars for their singular and generous forbearance in 

 not corning near one of a Sunday, for I cannot imagine 

 any other motive but kind consideration for me in that 

 piece of self-denial of theirs, which is clearly so much against 

 their own interest. About five-and-twenty years I have 

 had the unsatisfactory bother of that school, and I hope 

 I have done with it for life. The other school is not likely 

 to be very orderly; but I think the children learn, and I mean 

 to try what some switching of fingers, steadily administered 

 to Tommy and Billy Philips will do. If it does not succeed 

 they must be turned out. The only time I miss you much 

 is in my room at night. I keep on my fire, and have got a 

 table full of books, but it will feel at present that you are 

 gone. Very soon, I hope, it will begin to feel that you are 

 coming. Good-bye, my dear Em. It is the greatest pleasure 

 that can be, your letters. 



I well remember my aunt Elizabeth teaching in the 

 little school she set up close to her Sussex home where she 

 moved after her parents' death. There she went regularly 

 every morning for an hour or two. Her delight in giving 

 up the Maer school makes one appreciate more what the 

 effort and self-sacrifice must have been in this later work. 

 The mention of beggars brings up a sad part of her life. 

 She let herself be preyed upon by all kinds of worthless 

 people and impostors, and must have done harm, as well 

 as much good. 



1 Elizabeth appears to have given up teaching the Sunday-school 

 this spring. 



