144 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, xi 



I am grown timid, and my arm continues weak. I don't 

 think however, as it is not the bridle hand, that it would 

 hinder me if my spirit was better. However when I have 

 got my Shandredan I shall not want to ride. 



Madame Sismondi to her sister Mrs Josiah Wedgwood. 



GENEVA, Dec. 19, 1822. 



. . . We are made very happy by the good account you 

 give of yourself. You have occupied my thoughts and 

 feelings very much since my presentiment gave me the first 

 alarm ; more than I liked to say while you were still unwell ; 

 it seems the same thoughts and prayers occupied us at the 

 same time. I believe I am a little superstitious in my loves 

 and friendships, and I like to encourage it contrary to my 

 understanding, because it is agreeable to my feelings to give 

 as it were a little sacredness to them. You would think me 

 a fool if you knew what notice I take of periods, coinci- 

 dences, similarities, and the whole train of accidents that 

 constitute the lighter superstitions. I often think if I were 

 you, how fearless I should feel of death. Perhaps it is our 

 duty to aspire to the highest degree of perfection we are 

 capable of in this life, but my aspirations, my hopes, my 

 prayers even, do not go beyond what you are; and oh that 

 I may one day reach that, so as to be inseparably united to 

 you. A very warm devotional feeling is more a great enjoy- 

 ment to oneself than necessary to our salvation, I should 

 hope, from its depending so much on the physical constitu- 

 tion of our nature. The mother of a family can never hang 

 so loose on life as one whose cares and hopes terminate in 

 her own generation. I should feel ever ready to quit life if 

 I had but reached your standard, and this is one of my con- 

 solations for never having known the highest class of feelings 

 granted us. 



I have been interrupted no less than three times in this 

 little scrap of a letter ; I do not know now what I was going 

 to say and I see what I have already said is broken out of 



