go A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, vi 



Henry Swinney at Bath and how much I liked him. 

 When I left Bath he had not declared himself, but he did 

 so the day after by letter, and Sarah's answer was as 

 decisive and as kind as she could make it. I think she was 

 very wise to reject him on the score of age, if she had no 

 other objection, for ten years is a fearful difference on the 

 wrong side. I don't know whether Fanny [Allen] is right 

 in her estimate of William Clifford's sentiments with respect 

 to herself, but if he is the man to make her happy, most 

 ardently should I desire the connection. How charming 

 the frank-hearted manner in which she speaks of him in 

 her last. There is something very delightful in the vrai of 

 her character. A word of affection or commendation from 

 her is pure gold, for which reason I am so pleased at the 

 favourable report she makes of my Hal's improvements. 

 I know she would not say so " because she thought it 

 would please me," as the poor Collier did to my father, but 

 if she could not commend, she would say nothing. I 

 intreat you, among the petites morales, to make him hold 

 up his head, or else it must be terribly in the way of his 

 waltzing partner. We have been so quiet since I came 

 home that I have few annals to give you. We have indeed 

 been asked out six or seven times, but I began by refusing, 

 because I would not leave my boys for the remainder of 

 the holidays, and I was very glad of being under the neces- 

 sity of keeping up my consistency. We are expecting 

 the Cid 1 and family on Wednesday to stay two or three 

 days. I wrote to ask the Macks to meet them, but the 

 Knight is at Dropmore, and Kitty cannot yet give me a 

 decisive answer, whether she can come or not. . . . 



Mrs Josiah Wedgwood to her sister Fanny Allen. 



January 3Qth [1816]. 



... I am glad you have decided against going to Italy 

 with Sismondi, not because I see any impropriety in it, but 

 because I should not have liked your being so much farther 



1 Sydney Smith. 



