140. Mary Moulton-Barrett to EBB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 138–139.
[Hope End]
[ca. December 1821] [1]
Here is frost enough my dearest Ba to make the water look like a mirror, tho’ partly frozen over, and to dry & prepare the ground I trust for seed– Mrs Waller is much better, & our gouty Senechal can stand upon a foot & a half I hear. [2] “Murad the Unlucky,” [3] (or rather the improvident) amused us all greatly last night! it is greatly superior in moral to the Arabian tales, & little inferior in incident, tho’ it wants the splendor of their scenic decoration– Bro copied your half finished drawing of <…>s Cottage extremely well. I really think there <is> talent enough for the graphic art amongst all the junr branches of this house to turn it into no unworthy academy, if we had nothing else to do.– I rejoice to find that Bro has not forgotten his French either in accent or grammar– I cannot say so much for geography. We looked over some Maps yesterday with a very wandering & unsteady gaze, & tho’ I could not help feeling mortified, that knowledge to my mind so needful, & to his own once so familiar should be so impaired, I still believe it is very readily regained, & willingly admit the Classics for the present to be all in all, satisfied that there are seeds sown of every-day knowledge which in due time will not fail to yield their fruit– I am surprized to find that Sams Latin exercise consists merely of Copying from the grammar the four principal parts of the verbs, which any one may do who can write, but the plan of the school rests upon this extreme attention to the most simple rudiments, & I have no doubt that the strength of the superstructure will prove its efficacy. I cannot however give up the progress Stormy is making in the most advanced stage of exercises on the united noun adjective & verb, which he writes very correctly. Poor Arabel is in sad distress about her Canary, who sits moping with his head under his wing, & looks rough & miserable– it is not from want of food, but probably it feels the change from the constantly warm atmosphere of the school room, & there are some thoughts of making them <o>ver to the snug comforts of the Housekeep<er’s> room for the present. I feel very anxious about hearing from Sam; the time for Mrs O[rme]’s return is rapidly advancing. Tonight I trust will bring me good tidings of my beloved Ba. In the midst of a political tirade from Bro at tea time last night, Henry placed himself with his back to the fire, & with the Colossus stride, & his hands behind him, called out with all his might, “Imm for Teen”! [4] Kisses to my best loved Ba from all & to all!
Indeed if M<…> [5] do not make the proposal to <separ>ate herself, now, I have many doub<ts w>hether we shall be justified in <giving> her this very summary dis<missa>l!——
Address, on integral page: S.M. Barrett Esqr MP. / Spa Hotel / Gloucester.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: British Library.
1. Dated by references to winter conditions and the illness of Arabella’s canary (which had died by 3 January 1822).
2. Mrs. Waller is perhaps in the Moulton-Barrett employ, and the “gouty Senechal” could be a manservant named Phillips.
3. One of Maria Edgeworth’s Popular Tales (1804).
4. “I’m for Queen,” a reference to the late Queen Caroline. Henry was three years old at this time.
5. Seal tear.
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