2725. RB to Arabella & Henrietta Moulton-Barrett
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 15, 44–45.
Florence]
April 2. [1848] [1]
Would I take a worse way, dearest Henrietta & Arabella, to get back your favor, which this great stoppage in note-writing may have put in peril,—than by beginning, as I must, with the confession that it is all thro’ me, you do not receive a great letter from Ba,—whole sheets overflowing, such as I used to see her perpetrating,—while I could not find the heart to stop the quick little fingers, or do more than interpose at intervals with “Now, Ba,”—“What did you promise me?[”] “There’s your face getting red and redder,” and the like! All to no use! “Just to the end of this page”—“only a word here,—something I forgot and must say”—and so at last the letter was piled up story on story like a Tower of Babel—and then—once the letter [was] safely off at the post and away, I used to hear—“Perhaps .. it was not wise in me to write so much—it may be the cause that I don’t feel quite so well!” How I used to cry out—“Could Henrietta or Arabella know! how they would refuse such pleasure at such price!” And so I am confident you would—and that you will, after a minute’s consideration,—you will rather support me in the exercise of a proper authority, than try to weaken it by complaining .. (which would overthrow it, indeed, tho’ I save my dignity by saying “weaken” merely)– For, here is the truth, in spite of all that Ba says, I firmly believe that this last attack was influenced greatly (for I will not pretend to say, produced) by the long, long[,] far too long letters that she would write the day before. I said, as I saw her flushed cheeks, “See, if you will not suffer for it!” But I need not say any more on the subject, as what would have induced her to write, by gentle stages, so short a letter this time, had it not been her conviction, after all, that I am right and she wrong? And now, dearest Sisters, this is the way you must help me, you must write as long and (at least) as often as before,—otherwise, who shall answer for this refractory creature not precipitating herself upon a Box of Bramahs, [2] a quire of cobweb paper, and a bottle of Blue-black warranted to stand any climate—and—and ....
Here she is sitting, looking very well, gaining strength every day,—with delicious Spring weather to help us. Don’t feel the least alarm at the rumours of war that fill the world—I mean, alarm on her account– I will not be caught sleeping, I promise you. She will be able to get to some cool place, I trust, and do much better than last year. The cowardly English are leaving the place—infinitely to the satisfaction of the less mouse-hearted who stay, not being frightened at their own shadows: should our city be entered,—we can reach Leghorn in a few hours and find a hundred merchant vessels, plus the squadron from Malta, which will arrive at first warning of hostilities, but nothing of the kind will be needed, in all probability. All the excitement and busy sense of life does Ba good—we only want you here—and say so, as we see the two seats unoccupied in our comfortable carriage every afternoon.
Goodbye, and God bless you– Ba loves you better than ever, I will undertake to assure you—tho’ I only know what her love now is—it can hardly have been so great—but greater, impossible! Remember me always for yours ever most affectionately and faithfully,
RB.
Address, on integral page: H. & A.
Publication: EBB-AB, I, 163–164.
Manuscript: British Library.
1. Year provided by reference to letter 2724, with which this letter was enclosed.
2. Ink nibs in stylized holders, invented in 1809 by Joseph Bramah (1749–1814).
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