1831-1832] Frank Wedgwood's Engagement 245 



and depressed, and would wish very much not to have any 

 more manifestations. Poor thing, I should think she would 

 become quite mad soon. . . . 



The following letter tells of Frank Wedgwood's engage- 

 ment to Fanny Mosley, daughter of the rector of Rolleston. 

 This makes the fourth Fanny in the Maer circle. To avoid 

 confusion the wives of Hensleigh and Frank will be dis- 

 tinguished as Fanny Hensleigh and Fanny Frank. 



Fanny Allen to her niece Elizabeth Wedgwood. 



DULWICH, March 1. 1832. 



. . . You are all as busy as possible now I suppose with 

 your two brides and arrangements for my dear Lotty's 

 wedding. I think she pays your judgments or tastes too 

 great a compliment in getting a white bonnet. Caroline 

 [Drewe] who has just left us, talked of the fashion being 

 to be married in a veil. This is certainly the prettiest 

 costume and it would save the carriage of a bonnet, which 

 I am now thinking is a great evil, so that you would have 

 had something more to do with me, had I been in Charlotte's 

 place, before you would have got me to send for a white 

 bonnet, having bought a straw one. I have a pleasing 

 impression of Miss Mosley, from what you have all said, 

 and I rejoice very much at it for Frank's and your sakes. . . . 

 I do not know whether Fanny [Hensleigh] mentioned my 

 going with Mrs Rich to Mr Irving's early prayer meeting 

 last week. I repeated it again, yesterday, and I am come 

 out of my experiences more unbelieving than I was before 

 indeed I think I had a little belief. I expected I am sure 

 something extraordinary, something at least that I could 

 not account for, and there was nothing out of the common 

 way, except indeed the extravagance of minds not quite 

 sane. It was perfectly dark when we got to the church, 

 which was very faintly lighted by two small globe lights on 

 a table under the reading-desk, where Mr Irving sat like a 

 magician. There were the usual prayers and two psalms 



