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Darwin Correspondence Project

From Emma and Elizabeth Wedgwood to Catherine Darwin   [13 November 1838]

Maer

Tuesday.

My dear Catty

Since Charles went I have been rather afraid of his being in too great a hurry so I hope you will all hold him in a little especially the Dr. I find Elizabeth would be very sorry if it was to happen very soon & that makes me wish more that things may not go too fast.

She forgets herself so much that I should like her to have her wish. besides which I should wish it myself. I don’t mean to insinuate that Charles would not mind what I say but if you all thought it could happen in no time as it were it would make me appear cross & disagreeable on Saturday when I mean to be particularly happy. We kept thinking of you yesterday evening & hoping your arrival made a great sensation, but I shall hear all about it in a day or two I am happy to think. I had such a charming note from Caroline yesterday & Eliz. & I are going to see her today which I am very impatient to do. My dear Catty I get happier & happier every hour. I long to see my dear Susan. She must come over some day. Would not she come on Saturday & go back with Caroline which wd be an opportunity I should be so glad if she would.

Goodbye my dearest. I am so glad you were hear. I had a very nice little walk to Black Brook. | Yours affectly Em W.

You can keep this to yourself or not as you think best

Tell Charles to be a good boy & do his lessons & take things leisurely, indeed they cant be very fast.

How I do wish he would, & wait till Spring & fine weather! F. A.1 says it is the happiest time of Emma’s life & it is a thousand pities it should be a very short one— Do dear Catty clog the wheels a little

S E W.

Footnotes

Probably Frances (Fanny) Allen, aunt of Elizabeth and Emma Wedgwood.

Summary

Hopes the Darwins in Shrewsbury will help her convince CD that he must not hurry their marriage too greatly. Sarah Elizabeth Wedgwood [II] adds a postscript to the same effect.

Letter details

Letter no.
DCP-LETT-434
From
Emma Wedgwood/Emma Darwin
To
Emily Catherine (Catherine) Darwin/Emily Catherine (Catherine) Langton
Sent from
Maer
Source of text
DAR 204: 174
Physical description
ALS 2pp †

Please cite as

Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 434,” accessed on 16 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-434.xml

Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 2

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