1 6 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, i 



its being ready for you by the time your furlough will 

 expire, to which, by the bye, I hope you will conform like 

 a good soldier. . . . Our tete-a-tete^ here is tolerably endur- 

 able. We seldom meet for five minutes except at dinner, and 

 then with eating, drinking, and helping the children, we 

 manage to pass an hour with a few remarks. I believe if 

 we were to live twenty years together we should make no 

 further progress in intimacy. However, she does exceed- 

 ingly well in her situation ; she did not come here to amuse 

 me. I do not see any signs of melancholy about her. I 

 fancy my sister's visit has cheered her for a while. 



I rely on your discretion to keep my letters to yourself ; 

 they may do between you and me, but your quizzing sisters 

 would be tremendous. Give my love to them all, and 

 believe me with heartfelt tenderness, your affectionate 



husband, 



JOSIAH WEDGWOOD. 



Mrs Josiah Wedgwood to her husband. 



CRESSELLY, Aug. 28th, 1800. 



I have felt my heart very heavy with the idea that you 

 would be angry with me for prolonging my stay after my 

 repeated promises that I would not, but I really found it 

 impossible to resist. I am not sure that it would have 

 been right to have done so. If my Father's account of his 

 own situation was accurate it certainly would have been 

 barbarous in me not to have staid, and as he thinks it so, 

 the effect would be much the same on his feelings. But I 

 am sure I am not just to you in doubting for an instant 

 that you will enter into my feelings. I am sure I suffer 

 more in the delay than it is possible you can, because it is 

 more my own doing. I am persuaded your next letter will 

 do away all my present feelings, but the comfort of meeting 

 you will be more than I can express. 



Farewell, dear Jos, love to the Children and Miss Dennis. 



1 With Miss Dennis, the governess. 



