Maer—
March 12th| Monday.
My dear Charles—
Susan sent off her letter by the first Tuesday of this month directed to Rio as we have
not yet had any fresh direction from you. We are in daily hopes of a letter from Madeira
as it is high time we calculate for a letter & we are getting very impatient my
dear Tactus to hear from you— I mean to fill this letter very much with Maer
news. I am only afraid a letter without a new marriage will be very flat. I came here
last Tuesday & found all the family at home & two Miss Tollets who
however only staid one day to my great joy, for they are such talkers that I felt it
vain to try to get a share & listening without talking oneself is dull work
comparitivly—as we have often agreed.— On Thursday
Mr. Baugh Allen arrived to stay alas a fortnight there never
was such a tiresome, chattering, conceited, man. Every body here except Aunt Bessy are
in despair at this visit & we all agree that when he does leave the room for a
few minutes it is like the stilling of a storm (is not that beautifully
affected?)— on Friday Mr. Langton arrived, & next
Thursday week the marriage is to take place. Jessie also came here on Friday &
now I have given you the outline I will tell you all particulars— Charlotte
Fanny & Emma went to meet Mr. Langton who was to come per coach
to Newcastle, which Charlotte was vy glad to do, to escape a public meeting with him: I
returned to be in the room to see Uncle Jos's first greeting with him & to avoid
a seperate introduction myself— We dined late & at
6--the coach arrived—all the family shook hands with him in a
very nice & friendly manner— C. F & E all then went
to dress & Mr Langton & Uncle Jos &
Mr B. Allen stood talking of the weather an endless
time. poor Mr L saying it was ``cold, remarkably cold,''
& then it had been ``a fine day, particularly fine'' & bright
&c. all repeating each other & contradicting
each other in the most agonitic way till at length Uncle Jos took the unfortunate man to
his room to dress. Uncle Jos said afterwards that he could not think ``what bewitched
Mr L. to stand talking instead of going'' & we all of
course raised an outcry & said it was he himself who was to
blame—& not Mr Langton I suppose this long waiting for
dinner did not agree with the constitution of the family, for when we did at length go
to dinner at 7. oClock, Uncle Jos. never spoke, nor did Jos.—
Mr. L. was shy & constrained & not having had
the advantage of a family sketch (such as you gave William Fox) I dare say thought this
silence very strange & possibly an incivility to himself. he is like
W. F a very polite ceremonious man & really very well bred &
gentlemanlike— Frank I suppose thought the family awe struck by
Mr. L. & inclined to pay him too much attention—
Frank but seldom addressed him & when he did, usually some ultra radical
sentiment— When the toasted cheese was handed round Frank thought
Mr Langton had not been offered any, so he took a plate as you would take
a flat stone & made it skim across the table towards Mr. L
& then asked him whether he chose to take any— After dinner Uncle Jos
who is not quite well lay down on the sofa & read all evening & Jos
lolled on the arm chair opposite & literally they neither of them spoke
all evening or once addressed Mr. L which considering its being his first
evening & the situation he was in I do think the most extraordinary piece of
want of politeness I ever witnessed. The girls were all sadly annoyed particularly poor
Charlotte the evening was very flat & constrained— Yesterday &
Sunday went off much better, & dinner went off also very well. Harry came from
the Stafford assizes & talked away. Frank was gone to pay a visit to Miss
Mosely, so there were no plates flung across the table. One plate made a tremendous
crash on the table slipping out of Jos's hands in such an odd manner that Harry
afterwards asked if Jos was tossing the plate up to see whether Heads or tails came
down— however he talked away very well to Mr. L. & I
still think when he does talk—he appears to much better advantage
than most of his brothers. Mr Langton is I think a very
agreeable man with the most pleasing countenance & manner I have often
seen—his reading prayers & the bible last night was quite beautiful.
Charlotte is looking so pretty & so happy & proud of Mr L
it is a pleasure to see her & I do think when you get to know Mr
Langton you will be as glad as we are that she has met him— they have taken a
house for a year in Surey at Ripley— Franks Miss Mosly by all accounts has
nothing very pleasing about her. She is good-humoured they say & very fond of
Frank— it is settled they are to live at Etruria & Harry &
Jessie to take some other house in the neighbrhd much to Jessies joy—
Mr. Paget Mosley—the brother, people think is rather taken
with Fanny, he always singled her out to drink wine wine with & he watches her
& remarks on all her little ways he did a very odd thing which if I can, without
a grand prose I will tell you. He found out the day Mr Langton was
expected who he had never seen— he got upon the Coach & went
5 miles with him, after a time he entered into conversation, made some allusion
to who Mr L. was, by saying ``you will be late for dinner
&c.—'' then wished him joy, said he believed
Charlottes white bonnet was not yet arrived—then praised her singing &
after a pause said ``Fanny sings very well also''. Mr.
L. doubted, but Mr Paget persisted & afterwards they
remembered Fanny had one night joined in some grand finale in Figaro— I think
considering how little Mr. Mosely knew of the Maer family & what
a slight connexion he had with Mr Langton through this
acquaintance this conversation was most extraordinary— On the
20th. the party began to collect for the wedding. Catherine
came. Mr. Secker with Harry from the assizes.
Mrs Tollet & 3 daughters came to tea on
21st. the young ladies in high spirits— Ellen Tollet
made such a noise laughing & chattering that Uncle Jos grew quite cross,
& left the room Charlotte looked remarkably pretty but very silent &
seemed overcome & wished the party had not been so large. Mr
Langton's manner was very nice & attentive w<ithou>t being
disagreeably so— the next morning we all assemb<led> in the
drawing room between 9 & 10. there were two tab<les> with
tea & coffee for those who chose to t<ake> any thing before going
to church— Aunt Sarah & Miss Mosy then arrived. the room
looked so odd every body standing about in little groups, all gaily dressed. Charlotte
in white silk bonnet & green pelisse— At 10 the
glass doors were opened in the porch & we all set out Mr Langton
& Mrs Tollet heading the procession & we all followed in
pairs 7 couples then Uncle Jos & Charlotte & the
bridesmaids. poor Emma was ill with a feverish attack & not able to
attend. Robert officiated & people said very
well—the little church looked very full & gay. Uncle Jos said
afterwards he thought Charlottes behaviour quite
perfect.— When we got back to Maer we all went to breakfast in the
dining room a long table covered with confectionery meats tea etc. it was a
very noisy pleasant breakfast & a little before 12 Mr
& Mrs Langton drove off. I have not heard from Charlotte since
she got to Ripley— the next day Cath & I came home, & I enjoy
the quiet and repose very much— Fanny Owens marriage is put off for a few
weeks—the next letter you will hear those particulars. Have you been told of
Lucy Galton's marriage to Mr. James Moilliet. they were married
yesterday & I am sure you must think Mr. Moilliet a happy
man—. I have not heard lately of the Foxes— One more marriage I must
tell Yesterday there was a paragraph in the Shrewsbury paper saying the licence
& ring bought & 2 persons coming to be married at
St. Chads when suddenly the bride groom changed his mind &
positively refused the clergyman Mr Compson expostulated all in
vain— Mark proved to be the Hero & our Laundry maid the
heroine. Nobody had an idea they were going to be married & we have had no
explanation of this odd behaviour of Marks. they were really we find married
this morning— I have no more family news, except poor
Pincher has cut the sinew of his foot with a glass bottle & they fear will be
lame for life— My Father is very well & takes great pleasure in the
Hot house which answers very well & the green house is filled with pretty gay
flowers from it— Marianne is here she will write a flap to you— We
hear that in some paper the Beagle was mentioned, but stupid Mrs.
Sneyd can neither tell us what was said nor where nor when.
My dear Charles I do so long to hear of you every day I cannot help expecting &
hoping for a letter— poor Nancy nurses Mariannes baby Charles & I
believe crys over your past baby days. < > Papa & we often and
often talk of you & hope you have quite got over sea sickness & are well
& enjoying yourself most thoroughly but I still build upon the hope you will be
content with out staying the whole time with the expedition—
God bless you my very dear Charles Papas and all our kindest love | Ever yr
affectionate | Caroline Darwin *S 2
March 29th | 1832.
My dear Charles
I have begged for a flap. I have often longed to write to you to tell you how often
& how much I have thought of you, but I shall not undertake to be one of your
correspondents, my letters would be too dull to send you & you will hear of any
great events happening to me such as the birth of Children &c from
here—& you must not think dear Charles that I forget you—
Parky learns his Geography lessons by where Uncle Charles is going to— We long
for a letter from you as you may well suppose— Caroline has told you all the
news to be told—
Good bye & God bless you | My dear Charles—
Yrs. ever & very affec | M P.
