278 [CHAP, xx 



CHAPTER XX 



18371838 



Josiah Wedgwood's engagement to Caroline Darwin The Sismondi? 

 at Pescia A tour in the Apennines Mrs Norton at CresseUj 

 Emma at Shrewsbury and Onibury Hensleigh resigns his 

 Police Magistracy A family meeting in Paris Bro's illness. 



THE following letter was written just after the engagement 

 of Josiah Wedgwood to his cousin Caroline Darwin. He 

 was 42, and she was 37 years old. His mother had longed 

 for this to happen thirteen years ago. 



Emma Wedgwood to her sister Elizabeth Wedgwood, 



at Onibury. 



MYDEARELIZ., MAER, Sunday [1st July, 1837]. 



On Friday I went directly after breakfast on the 

 pony to tell aunt Sarah the good news, and took a nice little 

 note of Jos's to her, which was rapturous enough to please 

 her very much. Later in the day I went to Seabridge [the 

 Harry Wedgwoods] time enough to have a talk with them 

 before dinner. Jos had called in his way to Etruria to tell 

 them, which had pleased them. He was so agitated he 

 could hardly tell them. They were very much surprised, and 

 I was wrong in my notion that it had come into their heads. 

 They were very full of joy and sympathy. I should have 

 been dreadfully put to to help telling the Toilets, but luckily 

 Harry saved me that agony by telling himself. Eliza and 

 Jessie [Wedgwood] thought of a delightful little scheme 

 for me, which I am going to put in practice by their kind 

 help in coming to take care of Mamma, viz. to go to Shrews- 



