12 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, i 



The following letter from Jos to Tom was written after 

 the brothers had just parted at Falmouth, whence Tom had 

 sailed for the West Indies. The voyage was undertaken for 

 the sake of his health. 



Josiah Wedgwood to his brother Tom. 



MY DEAR TOM, GUNVILLE, Feb. 28, 1800. 



I cannot resist the temptation of employing my first 

 moment of leisure to unburden my heart in writing to you. 

 The distance that separates us, the affecting circumstances 

 under which we parted, our former inseparable life and 

 perfect friendship, unite to deepen the emotion with which 

 I think of you, and give an importance and solemnity that 

 is new to my communication with you. I did not know till 

 now how dearly I love you, nor do you know with what deep 

 regret I forebore to accompany you. It was a subject I 

 could not talk to you upon, though I was perpetually 

 desirous to make you acquainted with all my feelings upon 

 it. I would not without necessity leave my wife and 

 children, and I believed that I ought not ; yet my resolution 

 was not taken without a mixture of self-reproach. But I 

 repeat the promise I made you at Falmouth. 



I have not yet been able to think of you with dry eyes, 

 but a little time will harden me. It is not so necessary for 

 me to see you, as to know that you are well and happy. 

 Nothing could be more disinterested than the love I bear 

 you. I know that my wife and children would alone render 

 me happy, but I see, with the most heartfelt concern, that 

 your admirable qualifications are rendered ineffectual for 

 your happiness, and your fame, by your miserable health. 

 But I have a full conviction that your constitution is strong 

 and elastic, and that your present experiment bids fair to 

 remove the derangement of your machine. I look forward 

 with hope and joy to our meeting again, and I am sure that 

 seeing you again, well and vigorous, will be a moment of the 

 purest happiness I can feel. 



Perhaps this may be the last time that I shall write to 



