1839] The Henslows and Lyells 41 



Brown, whom Humboldt calls " the glory of Great Britain," 

 looks so shy, as if he longed to shrink into himself and dis- 

 appear entirely; however, notwithstanding those two dead 

 weights, viz., the greatest botanist and the greatest geologist 

 in Europe, we did very well and had no pauses. Mrs Hens- 

 low has a good, loud, sharp voice which was a great com- 

 fort, and Mrs Lyell has a very constant supply of talk. Mr 

 Henslow was very glad to meet Mr Brown, as the two great 

 botanists had a great deal to say to each other. Charles 

 was dreadfully exhausted when it was over, and is only as 

 well as can be expected to-day. There never were easier 

 guests than the Henslows, as he has taken himself off all 

 day, and she is gone out in a fly to pay calls, and Charles 

 and I have been walking in the garden. He is rather 

 ashamed of himself for finding his dear friends such a 

 burden. Mr Henslow is so very nice and comfortable that 

 it is a pleasure to look at him. It is said of him that he 

 never wishes to eat, but always eats everything offered to 

 him. The dinner was very good. . . . 



< 



Elizabeth Wedgwood to her sister Emma Darwin. 



MAER, Tuesday Night [11 April, 1839]. 



. . . To-morrow month you will be here which will soon 

 be here ; and the fortnight, alas ! soon gone, but then there 

 will be your visit in August to look forward to next, and 

 my run up to you sometime. 



I went and had a good batch of gardening after the Hollands 

 were gone, planting a great patch of crocuses, in imitation of 

 Shrewsbury, in the grass, and sowing seeds; till at last a 

 feeling took me by surprise that I was doing it all alone and 

 for nobody else to take any interest in, and I took a fit of 

 sadness, which, however, will not come again, for one really 

 does take interest in the plants for their own sakes, and 

 one likes gardening like any other art for its own sake. 

 Moreover the little Spring bed is very gay and pretty. It 

 has been a real bright day to-day though with an east wind 

 still. 



