[CHAP. VII 



CHAPTER VII 



1846 



Emma at Maer The death of Bessy, March 31, 1846 Elizabeth 

 leaves Maer Emma and two of her children at Tenby. 



BESSY'S health was now failing fast ; Emma went for a few 

 days alone to Maer in January, 1846, on this account. 



Emma Darwin to her aunt Madame Sismondi. 



MAER, Thursday [Jan., 1846]. 



. . . Elizabeth is looking well and in good spirits. She 

 is buoyed up by instinctive hopefulness, though if you were 

 to ask her what it was she hoped, I don't know what she 

 would say, but it makes her go through all the nursing with 

 such zeal and spirit. 



I left Charles and the children all well; Willy in a great 

 state over a hideous new pea-jacket with great horn buttons. 

 He puts it on at all times of the day when he can get it safe 

 from Etty, who always insists upon having it on herself 

 when she catches sight of it. He bears it with the greatest 

 good nature and never attempts to take it from her, only 

 keeps it under the sofa that he may get it unknownst. He 

 is getting on a little with his reading, and I find it a great 

 pleasure and interest teaching them. But when I am not 

 well I feel it a great anxiety to be looking after them all day, 

 or else the small quantity of lessons they do I think I could 

 always manage. 



Edmund [Langton] is a very pleasant little man, and 

 looking so well it is a pleasure to see him. He is always 

 being some animal which seems to do for him almost as well 



