How good you have been, my dear aunt, in sparing Sophy to
Edgeworthstown, and since you have been so good it is in encroaching
human nature to expect that you will be still better, and that you and
my uncle and Mag will come to Edgeworthstown for her; we shall be home
in a fortnight. What joy, what delight to meet you among the dear faces
who will welcome us there. The brilliant panorama of London is over, and
I have enjoyed more pleasure and have had more amusement, infinitely
more than I expected, and received more attention, more kindness than I
could have thought it possible would be shown to me; I have enjoyed the
delight of seeing my father esteemed and honoured by the best judges in
England: I have felt the pleasure of seeing my true friend and mother,
for she has been a mother to me, appreciated in the best society, and
now with the fulness of content I return home, loving my own friends and
my own mode of life preferably to all others, after comparison with all
that is fine and gay, and rich and rare.
We spent four days at Clifton with Emmeline, and if our journey to
England had been productive of no other good, I should heartily rejoice
at our having accomplished this purpose. My father was pleased and
happy, and liked all his three grandchildren very much. You may imagine
how much pleasure this gave me.
We came here the day before yesterday, and have spent our time
delightfully with Anna and her children, and now the carriage is at the
door to take us to Mrs. Clifford's. Yesterday we went to see Samuel
Essington, [Footnote: The servant who was so faithful and so frightened
at the time of the rebellion. He had saved some money and quitted the
service of the Edgeworths in 1800.] at the Essington Hotel. He thought
it was a carriage full of strangers and was letting down the steps when
he beheld my father; his whole face glowed with delight, and the tears
stood in his projecting eyes. "Master! Master, I declare! O sir, ma'am,
miss, Mrs. Beddoes, Miss Edgeworth: how glad I am!"
He showed us his excellent house, and walked us round his beautiful
little lawn and shrubberies, all his own making; and cut moss roses and
blush roses for us with such eagerness and delight. "And all, all owing
to you, sir, that first taught me."
* * * * *
Mrs. Edgeworth writes:
At Mrs. Clifford's we stayed some days--a beautiful country, not far
from Ross which we visited, and Maria was delighted to see all the
scenes of the Man of Ross. At Mrs. Clifford's we had one day of most
brilliant conversation between Maria, her father, and Sir James
Macintosh, who had just come into that neighbourhood. He joined us,
unexpectedly, one morning as we were walking out, and touching a shawl
Mrs. Clifford wore, "A thousand looms," he said, "are at work in
Cashmere at this instant providing these for you."
MARIA _to_ MRS. MARY SNEYD AT EDGEWORTHSTOWN.