2842. EBB to Henrietta Cook
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 16, 92–94.
[Florence]
[15 April 1850] [1]
May God bless you, my beloved, very dear Henrietta– May God bless you & Surtees!– [2] He shall be a brother to me, and every happy hour he gives you, shall be a fresh claim on my love & gratitude towards him! Dearest Henrietta, what emotion this letter of Arabel’s has stirred me to! How I have felt every line of it, gone with you through the whole trial .. no less bitter indeed, because, if God pleases, happiness & love catch up the ends of it for ever. Robert brought the letter in to me, with the exclamation .. “A white seal! the marriage must be over”. He had had great fears that you would not have courage to go through all—but just see! poor Papa made it easier than you had anticipated, by writing to you in such words, and in not calling you to the frightful interview. Henrietta, forgive me .. but I could not fancy your having the boldness to articulate, face to face, what you had prepared yourself to say to him. But the circumstances seem to have been favorable in every way .. as favorable as possible, under the painful stringency which existed. Surtees was perfect, as his whole conduct (let him suffer me to say so) from first to last, has been. Our esteem belongs to him of right—and our brothers, though generally obtuse on such matters, cannot help feeling this. Henrietta, he & you have done everything to supply the exactions of the most scrupulous among them & other persons, and I cannot doubt that poor Papa’s necessary anger, will be the only mark of disapprobation to which you can be liable, either of you– As to the “imprudence” of the step .. that is a word for the world .. In my own convictions, no marriage, founded upon mutual knowledge & true love, can be an imprudent marriage. For pecuniary matters, when Surtees wrote to me at the Baths of Lucca, I would have answered directly & clearly .. “You have enough, in my opinion, to marry on” .. & really I felt it hard not to speak out to that effect. Robert & I would have married on a hundred a year, or less, and he is by no means an improvident person, whatever I may be considered. Only there were reasons of delicacy, in relation to Surtees, which he will understand—and moreover I did feel that no one is justified in advising another (not even the nearest & dearest as you are) in a subject which concerns the innermost moral life of a man & woman. Now you are married, I may say for both Robert & myself that we think you have done well & wisely, and that you will be able to keep within your present income even in England. Also, I feel certain that you will get this desired appointment now—because many a kind cowardly person who would do nothing to promote a marriage supposed to be unpopular in your family, will be sure to extend both hands to assist you, when the thing is past arguing about– There is Mrs Farrer, for instance,— .. I should not be in the least surprised by her doing at once what certainly she has it in her power to do. Well, then—I am not uneasy about you. I believe you will be happy .. and I happily, trustfully leave you in God’s hands, when I pray to Him for your full earthly blessedness– May he bless you, my dearest, dearest Henrietta! Will you write to me as frankly, I wonder, as I used to write to you (and do) telling me all the little things? Leave nothing out, if you care to delight me—nothing is too little to tell. Why should you be tied to England, in which the whole way of life is so expensive? Now if Florence were not so far, we might arrange things for you here to a fabulous degree of cheapness .. (command us as you please)–– Write to me quickly, quickly. I heard from Mrs Martin a few days since, she begging me to let her know how it all passed off. It is curious how little Papa is known by the most intelligent & clearly seeing of our friends! She thought that he would agree to everything through a feeling that he had made a mistake before, & through a desire not to widen the breach with me!–!! Curious!—is’nt it. I am going to write to her today. She is the kindest & truest of affectionate friends, & has felt sensitively for you indeed.
So now, Henrietta, I must leave you. Love me, & believe that I love you. Robert & I join our hearts together to offer you both the most tender congratulations– Tell dear Surtees that I feel as if your happiness might cheerfully be trusted in his careful hands. God bless you both. I send you a kiss from Baby for “good luck”. Baby’s Kiss [3]
Your most attached
Ba.
Wilson affectionately wishes you all happiness. What a dream it must seem to you. Does’nt it?
Address, on integral page: Mrs Surtees Cook.
Publication: Huxley, pp. 120–121 (in part).
Manuscript: British Library.
1. Dated by EBB’s reference to Henrietta’s marriage and to having had a letter from Mrs. Martin to which she replied on the same day (see the following letter). This letter was enclosed with no. 2845 in no. 2844.
2. Henrietta and Surtees Cook were married on 6 April 1850 at St. James’s Church, Piccadilly. For correspondence concerning the effect this event had on 50 Wimple Street, see SD1414–23 and 1440.
3. “Baby’s Kiss” is written within a circle, just below and to the left of “good luck.”
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