286 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, xx 



help it. I was very glad to hear John [Allen] say, after 

 reading Fanny's letter, which touched him a good deal: 

 "With these feelings Hensleigh could do no otherwise than 

 he has done." He has commonly more worldly feelings 

 than I like to see in him and he sometimes from want of 

 thought gives them out before his children ; but though he is 

 exceedingly sorry for Hensleigh's decision he considers it a 

 a thing sealed and apart from argument. When they get 

 into your happy and peaceful harbour, I trust all the painful 

 or painfullest part of their trial will be over. . . . 



Do not fail to give my affectionate love to Joe and 

 Caroline when you see them. How does your mother take 

 it ? Ever dearest Elizabeth and Emma, 



Yours entirely, 



F. ALLEN. 



I think you will all have a delightful winter together. 



At the end of the Sismondis' long stay in Italy, before 

 settling again at Chene they went to Paris, where was a 

 great family gathering. John Allen of Cresselly and his 

 daughter Isabella, Harry and Jessie Wedgwood, Emma 

 Wedgwood and Catherine Darwin all made a trip to Paris 

 to meet them, and there spent about three weeks. 



Emma Wedgwood to her mother. 



MY DEAR MAMMA, BOULOGNE, May 15, 1838, Sunday. 



Here we are safe and sound after a most excellent 

 passage. This morning we have had our breakfast inter- 

 rupted only by running to the window to look at the dili- 

 gences going by. 



I will now go back to the beginning of our adventures. 

 We had a very pleasant drive to Birmingham, Harry in a 

 rapture with the green meadows full of yellow flowers all 

 the way. We set off by the railway at 9 next morning, 

 arrived at Rugby at 11 J, and got into a coach without the 

 least bustle. We found our four hours in the coach so far 

 more fatiguing than the rest of the journey that we advise 



