Correspondence

417.  EBB to Hugh Stuart Boyd

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 2, 305–307.

[Hope End]

Monday Evening. [16 May 1831] [1]

My dearest friend,

Thank you for your kind letter, & the good news about your going to Ruby Cottage on Wednesday. I decided upon telling Papa about it today at dinner; because at dinner I sit with my back to the light, and some people are Lavaters. [2] “Papa, I have heard from Mr Boyd, & he is going to Ruby Cottage? [3] ” “Where”? “To Ruby Cottage—the house at the Wells, where he used to live before.” “Really! How long do they mean to stay there?” “I believe, a year”. “A year! will they stay a year?” “I believe so.” He did not say a word more,—nor of course did I—but we all are of opinion that he seemed very much pleased when I first mentioned your having taken Ruby Cottage, & that his manner throughout was expressive of eagerness. Before I could observe anything about it aloud, as soon as we came out of the dining room, Henrietta said to me, “How pleased Papa seemed to be at Mr Boyd’s going to the Wells!” And it certainly was the case, whatever the motive was!—— I think it is clear that he felt, as he ought to have felt, more gratified than otherwise by your application thro’ Mr Curzon,—and I cannot understand how Mrs Boyd or any of you could imagine that he disliked the idea of living near you. As to the non-expression of his “hopes” & “regrets”, if you knew him, you would argue nothing from that. I feel sure in my own convictions, that he himself does not up to the present moment, know with any certainty where we are to go: and the when may be equally uncertain. If I could hope that the uncertainty extended to the circumstance of going at all——! but I cannot venture to hope it!—— I suppose Miss Clarke will arrive tomorrow. You know we deal in suppositions just now! Treppy in her letter last week said, “I suppose Bell will leave London next Monday for Hope End.” On Sunday a letter came from Bell to Papa, containing most probably something more than a “suppose” on the subject; but Papa is dumb. He would not speak even today at dinner, when Henrietta began to “wonder” whether she would come tomorrow. I wonder when we shall cease to wonder!

You may depend on my going to see you as often as I possibly can,—& indeed the distance to Ruby Cottage is nothing! How long will the distance between us & Ruby Cottage, be nothing? I ca’nt bear to think of it—so I wont! at least not now. If our aunt arrives before Sunday, shall I be able to go to you before Sunday? That is doubtful! but you will forgive its being so!——

Three letters went from this house to you, last Thursday,—and as you received only two of them, my apologetick on Friday must have appeared to you positive insanity. Indeed if compos mentis may be translated “of a composed mind”, I certainly was far from being compos mentis. Do you not mean to let Mr Curzon know of your change of plan? Otherwise, he may imagine that you have no wish to meet him again “in the flesh”—at least not at Ruby Cottage.

With regard to my staying at your house, it is very kind in you to wish it, but I have misgivings about it, which I will tell you of when we meet.

Ever affectionately yours

E B Barrett

I send you a parody on a poem [4]  you once parodied. It may amuse you.

Address, on integral page: H S Boyd Esqr / Woodland Lodge / Great Malvern.

Publication: EBB-HSB, pp. 134–136.

Manuscript: Wellesley College.

1. Dated by reference to Boyd’s move to Ruby Cottage and the arrival at Hope End of Miss Graham-Clarke.

2. Refers to Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801), whose writings dealt, among other things, with physiognomy, the so-called art of judging mind and character from facial and physical features.

3. EBB mistakenly put a question mark here.

4. A printed broadside: “Lygon’s Retreat or The Colonel’s Political Funeral, an elegy being A Parody on ‘The Burial of Sir John Moore.’ By a Madresfield Freeholder.”

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