26                                                                          [chap, n
 

CHAPTER|II
1839

The wedding at Maer—Caroline's baby dies—-Life at Grower Street
—Hensleigh becomes Eegistrar of Cabs^—Elizabeth gives up
the Sunday-school—Charles and Emma's first visit to Maer—
Their child born Dec. 27, 1839—My mother's character.

Charles Darwin and Emma Wedgwood were married on
Tuesday, the 29th January, 1839, at Maer Church. The
wedding was perfectly quiet, and they went at once to
Upper Gower Street.
 

Emma Darwin to her mother.

Gower Street, Thursday [Jan. 31, 1839].
My dear Mamma,

It was quite a relief to me to find on coming out
of Church on Tuesday that you were still asleep, which
spared you and me the pain of parting, though it is only
for a short time. So now we have only the pleasure of
looking forward to our next meeting. We ate our sand¬
wiches with grateful hearts for all the care that was taken
of us, and the bottle of water was the greatest comfort.
The house here was blazing with fires and looked very
comfortable and we are getting to think the furniture quite
tasteful. Yesterday we went in a fly to buy an arm-chair,
but it was so slippery and snowy we did not do much.
We picked up some novels at the library. To-day I sus¬
pect we shall not go out as it is snowing at a great rate.
I have been facing the Cook in her own region to-day, and
found fault with the boiling of the potatoes, which I thought
would make a good beginning and set me up a little.    On