236 Caroline Lucretia Herschel [1829. 



MISS HERSCHEL TO J. F. W. HERSCHEL, ESQ. 



March 3, 1829. 



MY DEAREST NEPHEW, 



I have spent four days in vain endeavours to gain 

 composure enough to give you an idea of the joyful sensation 

 Miss B.'s (and your P.S.) letter of February 5th has caused 

 me. But lean at this present moment find no words which 

 would better express my happiness than those which escaped 

 in exclamation from my lips, according to Simeon. See St. 

 Luke, cap. ii., v. 29 : " Lord, now lettest thou thy servant 

 depart in peace ! " 



I have now some hopes of passing the few remainder of 

 my days in as much comfort as the separation from the land 

 where I spent the greatest portion of my life, and from all 

 those which are most dear to me, can admit. For from the 

 description Miss B. has given me of the dear young lady of 

 your choice, I am confident my dear nephew's future happi- 

 ness is now established. 



I beg you will give my love to your dear lady, and best 

 regards to all your new connections where they are due in the 

 best terms you can think of, for I am at present too unwell 

 for writing all I could wish to say. 



I have suffered much during this severe winter, and have 

 not been able to leave my habitation above three or four 

 times for the last three months, and feel, moreover, much 

 fatigued by sitting eight times within the last ten days to 

 Professor Tielemann for having my picture taken, which he 

 did at my apartment, and now he has taken it home to 

 finish. You will receive it with the Easter messenger, but 



I must send it without frame I must conclude, for 



I wish to say a few words to your dear mother. It is now 

 between eleven and twelve, and perhaps you are at this 

 very moment receiving the blessing of Dr. Jennings, in 



