1093. EBB to Mary Russell Mitford
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 6, 231–232.
[London]
Tuesday. [20 December 1842] [1]
My beloved friend I shall write in brevities today I fear—but it seems to me better to do so than crever; [2] & yesterday, Nelly Bordman walked from Hammersmith on purpose to see me & I was forced to talk away all the time that belonged to my letter writing; & I really must write, though it be in few words, of Mr Kenyon & George Sand, & you distinctively– Dearest dearest Miss Mitford, my beloved sister & friend, your letter touched & charmed me to the roots of my heart. [3] You rise even above yourself in much that you say in it—you surpass my hope. I praise you, & I thank God for it! and I repeat that words like these & these words are the noblest testimony you cd offer of honor to that beloved memory. No, No!—you could not with reason, blame yourself for being cheerful. You are right & religious in your cheerfulness. You have the best reason for it, of the best men. Love & Trust should have shining faces.
But oh, my dearest friend, if I had been with you I never wd have let you go to church to hear that sermon! [4] Let you pray for it as you might, I never wd have given you leave. It was too great an effort, & might have agitated you beyond what was good for you: it was a risk, anyway & you ought not to run risks my dearest friend, .. more especially while you cannot sleep at command. I was quite frightened at the idea of your having been at church– Judge if I wd have given you leave!– For the rest the general & public expression of sympathy must have gratified deeply that chief thought of your heart which honors the dear memory—and the tone of the sermon, as you describe it, must have had its own music to your ear—and the vicar must have been touched, in proportion to his consciousness of the coolness, by the circumstance of your choosing to come & hear him on a subject so sacred to you. I do not doubt that he was much affected by the sight of you, there, under the circumstances! My beloved friend.
Mr Kenyon asked of you & talked of you earnestly & anxiously—& spoke of meaning to write to you on sunday. I hope he did. You must put him down among those who care very much for you—only a little after <…>!!! [5] I am afraid of Mr Kenyon & hide my claim to primamority.!!
Tomorrow, of George Sand! You please me perfectly & on all accounts by being in a passion—I will write tomorrow. Dont you write. Dont let me make sixty one to the dreadful sixty letters; & perform my part in tiring you; walk & sleep! & may God bless you brightly!– Tomorrow & today your
EBB–
How you fancy about Tennyson! No indeed! It was simple procrastination! [6] Thank you for the key to Madme D’Arblay. [7] It is enclosed.
Publication: EBB-MRM, II, 125–126.
Manuscript: Wellesley College.
1. Dated by the reference to Dr. Mitford’s death.
2. “To burst.”
4. As Miss Mitford did not attend her father’s funeral service, this must have been the sermon on the Sunday following his burial.
5. EBB first wrote “me,” but later struck it out and added the next sentence.
6. A reference to Kenyon’s intention of sending Miss Mitford a copy of Tennyson’s 1842 Poems (see letter 1080).
7. Many years later, a copy of this “key” in EBB’s hand was enclosed in a letter dated 26 June 1892 from Sarianna Browning to Jean Miller Morrison (ms at Texas):
Key to Madme D’Arblay
Col. Welbred — Col. Greville
Mr Turbulent — Mr Giffardiers the queen’s Swiss reader
Mr Fairly — Mr Digby
Miss Fusilier — Miss Gunning maid of honor to the queen
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