200. Edward Moulton-Barrett (brother) to EBB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 204–205.
[London]
[Postmark: 30 September 1824]
My dearest Bazy.
You will no doubt be extremely sorry to hear of melancholy death of young Mc Cinnon who was drowned during these holidays whilst bathing at Boulogne, [1] I heared it from a boy who was there all the time, it is the eldest son who was here, and I understand his father and Mother are almost broken hearted, in the morning he had asked his mother for a franc that he might take a machine, but she told him she had not one about her, and told him to bathe off the sands which he accordingly did, and his body was not found till two days after, when he was taken up in the most dreadful state. I have had a good deal of conversation with this boy and I assure you it was very interesting talk over our old haunts and acquaintances. [2] I enquired very particularly after a most intimate friend of ours who resides near the bottom of the Grand Rue on the right hand side, and with whom he was also upon very friendly terms, the said person is going on as usual with this exception that the mince pies were not quite in such requisition as when we were there. I am sorry to be obliged so soon to complain of your idleness in not writing to me, you are really too bad, and I tell you plainly that unless you answer my letters as regularly as I write them, I shall write to somebody else, <who will be more punctual, there are plenty of correspondents to be found in the family besides yourself. As Sam tells me he has written to you, he will of course have told you all the Charter House news which is but scanty, and in consequence of his writing I have detained my letter untill today in hopes that something might happen worth communicating to you but as nothing of the sort has happened I shall now close my letter.
Believe me my dearest Bazy
your ever affectionate,
Brozy—
If you make this out> [3] I think you must be a juggler but you must excuse it as could get no darker ink till just this moment.
Address, on integral page: <S M Barrett> Esqr MP. / <Hop>e End / Ledbury / <Her>efordshire. “Ba” written adjacent to the seal.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
1. The Charterhouse Registers record the death by drowning on 20 July 1824 of William Henry Mackinnon. He was 18, and had been a day boy at Charterhouse from January 1820 to February 1824.
2. EBB and her family spent seven months in Boulogne in late 1823/early 1824.
3. Bracketed passage, from “who” to “out,” is very faint, affected by the ink problem mentioned in the postscript.
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