9^                                                                                         [CHAP. VII
 

CHAPTER VII

1846

Emma at Maer—The death of Bessy, March 31, ,1846—Elizabeth
leaves Maer—Emma and two of her children at Tenby.

Bessy's health was now failing fast; Emma went for a few
days alone to Maer in January, 1846, on this account.

Emma Darwin to her aunt Madame Sismondi.

Maer, Thursday [Jan., 1846].

. . . Elizabeth is looking well and in good spirits. She
is buoyed up by instinctive hopefulness, though if you were
to ask her what it was she hoped, I don't know what she
would say, but it makes her go through all the nursing with
such zeal and spirit.

I left Charles and the children all well; Willy in a great
state over a hideous new pea-jacket with great horn buttons.
He puts it on at all times of the day when he can get it safe
from Etty, who always insists upon having it on herself
when she catches sight of it. He bears it with the greatest
good nature and never attempts to take it from her, only
keeps it under the sofa that he may get it unknownst. He
is getting on a little with his reading, and I find it a great
pleasure and interest teaching them. But when I am not
well I feel it a great anxiety to be looking after them all day,
or else the small quantity of lessons they do I think I could
always manage.

Edmund [Langton] is a very pleasant little man, and
looking so well it is a pleasure to see him. He is always
being some animal which seems to do for him almost as well