1823-1824] Emmas Confirmation 161 



Sarah's horses and carriage are disengaged, I advise you to 

 ask her to lend them to you, that you may make the most 

 respectable appearance you can." She then goes on to say 

 that Emma had better read a little on the subject, " but do 

 not let her be alarmed at that, it will be but little and the 

 subject is simple; . . . perhaps one ought not to press it, 

 any more than as an opinion that it is better done than 

 omitted, as it is better to conform to the ceremonies of our 

 Church than to omit them, and one does not know that in 

 omitting them we are not liable to sin." This strikes one as 

 a very eighteenth-century way of viewing one of the most 

 solemn ceremonies of her Church, with no concealment of 

 the fact that anxiety as to the carriage and respect ability of 

 appearance was prominently in her mind. Emma's diary 

 shows that she was confirmed on September 17th, 1824. A 

 few days later there was a large party of cousins at Maer, 

 and these entries in her diary follow : 



30th Sept. Susan, Catherine, and Robert came: "wicked 

 times." 1st Oct. Revels; 2nd, Revels; 4th, Revels; 5th, 

 Acted some of Merry Wives; 6th Oct., quiet evening ! 



Mrs Josiah Wedgwood to her sister Fanny Allen at Cresselly. 



MAER, Oct. 6th, 1824. 



... I have been wanting to write to you, my ever dear 

 Fanny, some time, but these young things have kept me in 

 such a whirl of noise, and ins and outs, that I have not 

 found any leisure. I may say to you under the rose, and 

 without the smallest disrespect to the company, that a little 

 calm will be very agreeable, and on Saturday I expect it; 

 and if the weakness of human nature forces me to expect it 

 without pain, it is not my fault. Susan and Catherine Dar- 

 win came here by the back carriage, when their sisters went 

 away, and the Tag Rag company, led on by Harry, is again 

 set up. As for Harry, he is in the highest state of excitation 

 just now you can conceive ; (private) very much in love, and 

 not very cruelly treated by his mistress. You must not drop 

 a word of this to anyone but Emma [Allen], as I should get 

 into a horrid scrape with him if he knew that I spoke of it, 

 and I only tell you to divert you in your solitude. The fact 

 is that he certainly is epris au dernier point with Jessie 



