Correspondence

3448.  EBB to Mary Elizabeth Sunderland

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 20, 259–260.

Florence– Casa Guidi

July 3– [1854] [1]

My dear Mrs Sunderland [2]

I am sure you must have appeared to yourself to have enlarged your experience of human ingratitude through me—but the fact is, I have waited for several days in order to be able to tell you our plans as well as our thanks, & to say whether or not we should be really in Leghorn on our way to England, with a chance of seeing you directly– Well—it is decided just now– We dont leave Italy this year– It is even very uncertain whether we shall leave Florence for our usual visit to the Baths of Lucca– We are fixed and transfixed—though of course, in the event of the heat’s being oppressive here, (which it is not at all at present) we should carry off our treasure of a child to the mountains. Meanwhile I write to you from Florence–

How kind you never cease to be to us, dear Mrs Sunderland! Your beautiful book-holder, for which we thank you warmly, is on the table keeping order among the books. When we are served by it we shall think of you, & of your goodness to us last year, & how it does not fail on this.

I dare say you have a delightful villa, & it must be very pleasant, Robert thinks, to have such an opportunity for the exercise of your wide sympathies for the “lower creatures” as we are impertinent enough to call them.

Do you hear sometimes from the Ogilvies? The children have all been ill, & dear Mrs Ogilvy has had a great deal of anxiety about them– Now, they are well, I trust. The talk is still of coming to Florence this year, but I am sceptical .. as long as we have the cannons from the East [3] to keep the air disquieted–

Indeed we remember Mr Cassels—and per bene [4] as the Italians say—and I hope if ever he wanders to Florence, he will do the same by us & prove it–

I need not say that to you– But, dear Mrs Sunderland, you despise Florence too much, for us to count on the chances of having the pleasure of seeing you here.

Our child did not “thrive” in Rome—the air disagreed with him; and he is only now beginning to recover his looks & roundness. Of course, therefore, I did’nt like Rome at all.

With salutations from Robert to the toad, & our united love to yourself, I remain

affectionately yours ever,

Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Wellesley College.

1. Year provided by EBB’s reference to the decision against leaving “Italy this year.”

2. See letter 2909, note 6. Mrs. Sunderland resided at Leghorn.

3. Fighting continued between the Russians and the Turks with recent battles above and below the Danube and on the eastern side of the Black Sea. At the end of May, French and British troops were transported from Gallipoli to Varna, plans having already been made to launch an attack in the Crimea at Sebastopol.

4. “Quite well.”

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