84 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, vi 



the most, the high moral atmosphere into which he intro- 

 duced us, if I may speak so affectedly, but no other phrase 

 that suits me so well presents itself. The moral standard 

 of Pembrokeshire was so low, how can we suppose we might 

 not have settled under it had we been left to ourselves and 

 to the country ? His was so high, so pure, so true and so 

 engaging by his exquisite modesty, that it was impossible 

 it should not have had its effect on us, tho' we had been 

 born brutes. 



Madame Sismondi to her sister Mrs Josiah Wedgwood. 



Wednesday [July 19, 1843]. 

 (Enclosed in the letter to Elizabeth.) 



DEAREST BESSY, 



Our common loss awakens BO many grateful feelings 

 in my heart I cannot help writing to you, tho' I know that 

 a letter is rather a fatigue now than a recreation to you. . . . 

 I have often thought our connection with the Wedgwoods 

 was one of the blessed circumstances of our lives, sent by 

 Heaven to raise our moral natures, if we had the wisdom 

 to profit by it. Some of us, I am sure have. Whether I 

 have or not, I am sure I have never thought of Jos'a 

 brotherly affection to every one of us without a warm glow 

 of the heart his open house to all of us his ready purse 

 when we wanted help ; dearest Bessy, if you had searched 

 the world you could not have found a husband who would 

 have been so kind and dear a brother to your sisters; and 

 you, who were always their stay, support, and sunshine as 

 it were, would not have been happy if you had not been so 

 seconded, seconded as he only could, I believe. My own 

 Bessy, we have so much to be grateful for, it would be ski 

 not to think of our many blessings and be thankful. When 

 we can feel gratitude to Heaven we are not far from 

 happiness. 



