A OENTUEY OF FAMILY LETTEES
 

CHAPTER I

1838—1839

Charles and Emma engaged^—^Dr. Darwin's delight—Suburbs versus
London—A letter from Sismondi—House-hunting.

It seems to have been in the summer of 1838 that my
father determined to ask Emma to be his wife. He was
however far from hopeful, partly because of his looks, for
he had the strange idea that his delightful face, so full of
power and sweetness, was repellently plain. He went to
Maer on Nov. 8, and on Nov. 11 ''The day of days," is
written in his diary. The letters which follow show how
warmly the engagement was received by friends and
relatives alike.
 

Charles Darwin to Charles Lyell.

Shrewsbury,
My dear Lyell,                        Monday [12 November, 1838].

I suppose you will be in Hart St. to-morrow, the
14th. I write because I cannot avoid wishing to be the
first person to tell Mrs Lyell and yourself that I have the
very good, and shortly since very unexpected fortune, of
going to be married. The lady is my cousin, Miss Emma
Wedgwood, the sister of Hensleigh Wedgwood, and of the
elder brother who married my sister, so we are connected
by manifold ties, besides on my part by the most sincere
love and hearty gratitude to her for accepting such a one
as myself.
I determined when last at Maer to try my chance, but
VOL. n.                                                                                             1