60 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, iv 



pre-eminent quality. It is one of the most important, and 

 in the end will promote more of their own and others 

 happiness than any other quality. The moral quality 

 most promoted by their education is benevolence, which 

 combined with good sense, gives all that education can 

 give. The two little girls are happy, gay, amiable, sensible, 

 and though not particularly energetic in learning, yet will 

 acquire all that is necessary by their steady perseverance. 

 They have freedom in their actions in this house as well as 

 in their principles. Doors and windows stand open, you 

 are nowhere in confinement; you may do as you like; you 

 are surrounded by books that all look most tempting to 

 read; you will always find some pleasant topic of conver- 

 sation, or may start one, as all things are talked of in the 

 general family. All this sounds and is delightful. 



Emma Darwin to Tier niece Julia Wedgwood. 



MY DEAR SNOW, Autumn, 1891. 



I cannot tell you what vivid pleasure this [journal] 

 has given me, if only in putting me in mind of that ride; 

 which was a great honour to a little girl, of course. I 

 remember my wonder at Emma [Caldwell] being able to 

 force herself (she was very tall and not slender) into Eliz's 

 habit, and I wonder what Eliz herself could have worn, 

 some make-shift I suppose. I remember Harry's high 

 spirits and the short gallops we took up the little pitches of 

 the pretty wood we were skirting. It is clear that Jos 

 excited some interest in her mind. 



I doubt whether common sense can be learnt by educa- 

 tion; no doubt it may be improved. There would be no 

 liberty at Linley Wood while Mr Caldwell was in the room. 

 He was a high Tory, and I have no doubt those clever 

 daughters had all sorts of Liberal crotchets. Mrs Caldwell 

 was genial and delightful. There was the same want of 

 liberty at Shrewsbury whenever Dr Darwin was in the 

 room; but then he was genial and sympathetic, only nobody 

 must go on about their own talk. 



