1792-1800] An Unhappy Visit 17 



Josiah Wedgwood to his wife at Cresselly. 



CHRISTCHURCH, August 28, 1800. 



. . . You cannot refuse your father a few days, as he 

 makes a point of your staying longer than the time you 

 had fixed, and I hope Mackintosh and J. Allen will enliven 

 them, so as to make them pleasanter than those you have 

 hitherto passed at Cresselly. I will not affect to say that 

 this difficulty thrown in the way of your return is not dis- 

 agreeable to me, but you need not apprehend that there is 

 anything of anger in the sentiment. I should be more 

 displeased with your apprehension of anger, if I did not 

 consider that the atmosphere you have lately breathed 

 inspires fear. I am truly sorry that your visit has turned 

 out so little to your satisfaction, and sorry that you will set 

 out low spirited on so long a solitary journey. ... I hope 

 you are assured that shooting would not interfere with any 

 plan for meeting you. Shooting is a pleasant thing, and I 

 must have active exercise, but its pleasures are subordinate 

 indeed to those in which the affections are engaged. And 

 it is not on my own account that I am now at all eager 

 about it. You know how much Tom has set his heart and 

 his hopes upon it, and I am certain you have too much 

 kindness for him to grudge the sacrifice of part of my time 

 to this object. I have been sometimes afraid you might 

 think I take from you to give to him, but I have never 

 perceived that you did, and it is a source of sincere grati- 

 fication to me, and increases my esteem for you, to know 

 that you are without jealousy on the subject, and that you 

 return the sincere affection he bears for you. . . . 



I am glad you have not executed either of your schemes. 

 Mary Allen 1 I have no objection to but as taking up room, 

 which at present we cannot spare. "As to the poor little 

 Ridgway, I should have been very sorry if you had put your 

 scheme with respect to her in practice. I do not know that 



1 Bessy wished to bring back her cousin, Mary Allen, and " little 

 Ridgway," because she was " half -starved." 



VOL. i. 



