2915. Henrietta Cook to EBB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 17, 29–34.
Morleymarsh Cottage. Taunton.
May 1st & 2d [1851] [1]
My ever dearest Ba–
You may be beginning to think my silence a long one, & it has been longer than I intended, altho’ I did not mean to write until we were perfectly settled—& here we are in our old quarters again, not in Germany but I feel glad we did not leave England on Baby’s account for not understanding the German language, & being inexperienced in the complaints infants so young are subject to, I should have been very nervous– It is all for the best, & when you come to England dearest Ba, we may have a better chance of meeting, if we cannot manage the Parisian plan! Dearest Ba, how can you even pretend to be angry with me for “scheming”, as you say not to like to be where you are, I am sure you cannot really mean so, the idea is too absurd, as you know perfectly well what happiness it would be to me to live near you, if it could be—but I don’t know exactly how it can be without you will come to us at Taunton, we might be away for a year or so, but as to living elsewhere I do not see how it could be, without Surtees were to give up his appointt here—& without a fortune came from the clouds to us, we could not do that!– I conjecture you are in Rome & shall direct to you there, that my letter may have a better fate than one that was returned to me before I left Town—a letter that I wrote to you before my marriage, just before Papa was spoken to—a letter brim full—it reminded me of my trials– Surtees wrote to the Master of the Post Office to complain[;] he has received two letters on the subject, but neither explained how the mistake arose[–] Surtees says, it must have been at Florence– I was very grieved to leave our dearest Arabel & Brothers, all of whom had shown us great kindness & affection, as they will to you dearest Ba be assured, when you are near them!
<…> [2]
As to leaving London, I did not care for it, for I prefer the country, particularly in the summer– As times are, I think neither of us would object to go there in the winter, should the purse be full enough!—but we shall see about your coming &c—at present we are here, when we were in London we talked of going on to Linton (30 miles from hence) [3] about June, but we have since almost determined not to do so—if Surtees can secure fishing here, (& he is now likely to do so from a gentleman in the neighbourhood, the M.P from Somersetshire) [4] we shall have no inducement to move!– We have a very comfortable little habitation not in Taunton, but a small cottage just on the outside of the Town—a cottage taken by our old landlady of last year, a Mrs Hickman, it is very tiny, but we have it to ourselves & though we have only one drawing room, we are really very cosy, our bed room is good—& Martha [5] sits with Mrs Hickman in what is called the kitchen, but is a clean comfortable room—& here our darling is dressed & washed by the fire, until the weather gets warmer. Mrs H. said she would have given up the whole cottage to us before we came, but she thought we would require some one to cook & manage for us, so she acts as housekeeper. She has besides a little girl of 5 years & a niece of 16, who waits upon us, this is our establishment, all for 1£ per week!– I like it so much better than lodgings in the town—in time I think I shall become very fond of Taunton the vale is so fresh & fertile—& now becomes more beautiful every day—the wild flowers of which there are great quantities, all coming out– I might have written more of them last year, but now of our Boy, our fairest flower– He bore the journey to Taunton perfectly, & until three days ago, we could not perceive that he ever felt a pain from the day of his birth—even the vaccination passed away without any signs of suffering– I say until three days ago, today thank God he is quite himself again, but the two days previous, we have been very uneasy & frightened about him—all his smiles & playfulness were put away for extreme fretfulness & bursts of crying—with a very hot head, & other unpleasant symptoms—as it was the first time we had seen him suffer, we were the more uneasy– Mrs Hickman our landlady, who has had a good many children, told us she was sure it was his teeth, that he was “breeding them in his gums” & foretells that they will make their appearance in about a fortnight or 3 weeks– I never thought that infants so young could have teeth, but she says her little girl had 4, when she was 4 months old—we shall see if it be so, but I trust this suffering is gone altho’ she says I must not expect it to be so altogether. We gave him castor oil & today he is as full of playfulness as ever—sitting on Surtees’ knee, cooing & talking in his own way—he is just 3 months & a week old today, & for his age I never saw a child take so much notice, & such a little animated body he is!! He has been lying on the sofa by me most of this afternoon playing with the newspaper– I am thankful to say I have plenty of nourishment for him, I give him one feed of biscuit powder boiled in water after he is washed at 7 in the eveng, & have done so since he was 2 months old– Now, some want me to feed him another time during the day as they say he is so strong & large a boy, he requires a great deal—this advice we have not taken yet, nor do I think we shall do so now—this different advice we have had about our Boy, has really puzzled us not a little– Louisa told me I should kill him if I fed him with biscuit powder. Mrs Cook & many others, that I should kill him if I did not. Neither Louisa’s nor Arabella Gossets children [6] are good specimens of the wisdom of their counsel, I therefore followed Mrs Cook’s, which of course I was in duty bound to do! Surtees makes me almost tipsy with Porter once a day, & I will not tell you how many cups of tea & bread & butter I consume. However the result is favorable, I am well & above all our Treasure methinks has thriven! Every body calls him like Surtees—sweet little dark sparkling eyes he has, a round fat infantine face, light hair I think it will be about the color of Surtees’ & mine!—he is put in a warm bath morng & eveng, which he enjoys. As the weather becomes settled we shall make it cooler– We have also in contemplation the putting on short clothes & taking off caps—those I made for him at the Winnings [7] now fit the top of his head & no more!—it seems hard to have to buy a new wardrobe for him so soon. Some of the long frocks I may cut, but the best I’ll not nor any of the first gowns, (10 in number)– Do not think that I anticipate further use of them, but I have been teazed so strenuously not to cut them down that I will not be obstinate, as we can give them away if they are not wanted or keep them for Altham’s children!– You see we look more to the future than you do, you, who wanted with your usual generosity to make over to me your cambric caps—tell me if they are likely to become useful to yourself dearest Ba. Mind you take care of yourself in your travellings, or rather let Robert take care of you– I see very well that you are still not over strong & remember in coming to England you will have a long journey before you; therefore do not let any Roman sights induce you to undertake more than your strength will admit of– I trust you are all enjoying yourselves. Wiedeman & all—darling Wiedeman! I trust I shall see him & you by some means or other if you come to England—the disappointment to poor Arabel will be terrible if you do not. I heard from her yesterday, when they were all well—looking forward to the opening of the exhibition today. Arabel will wait I suppose until the admission is somewhat lower, but Arlette was to be there by 7 in the morng today—& some were going at 5!—the sights will be fine I doubt not, but as it is, I am quite content to be here without it. I dare say you will have heard that Treppy has been ill, indeed I was not at all comfortable about her when we left London. Arabel says now she is getting quite well again—& I dare say in the end this illness will have done her good– She is in such comfortable lodgings; but all this Arabel will have told you of & also perhaps of the arrival of Aunt Fanny in London much to the discontent of Arlette, who acknowledges to no affection for her. She did me the honor of coming to see me in Bentinck St the day before we left. She greeted me kindly, & called Baby “a very fine boy”. I thought her looking very well. Arlette is going to give a Tableaux party & is much disconcerted, with Mr Reynolds, at being obliged to ask Aunt Fanny to it. Susan is to perform in these tableaux—together with Louisa, Arabella, Arlette herself & many others– She will be the Prima Donna I suspect, as she looks so particularly well I hear in them– She performed twice at Mary Minto’s & all agreed, no other actresses there were to be compared to her– I hope Arlette may ask Mr Vyvyan [8] —he was ill during the last month we were in town, & could not leave his house, therefore we saw no more of the dénouement. I think I told you how he confided to me the state of his affections regarding Susan. I am quite sure that he intended to offer to her, if he has not changed his mind during his illness, as might be, according to the fickleness of man—if such were to be, I have no idea what Susan’s reply to him would be! but I wish she were happily married! John is working now in Essex, & seems to like his living, though it be a small one, his church is in capital order, the rectory not quite completed, but will be soon—& he has a sum of money to buy furniture for it, that was presented to him by some of the people in Westminster as a token of gratitude to him for Ministerial services. [9] Dear Mrs Cook has been ill, but is better again!
We have already dined out since we have been here, & last eveng we gave a dinner-tea to the two families of Chapmans here, [10] who were so hospitable to us the last time we were here– Lamb pie, chicken, roasted potatoes, tea, coffee, knead cakes (that I made) & other et ceteras were our fare—our amusements,—I sang to the guitar, & a game at Pope Joan, if you know what that is, all to conclude with a little whiskey (don’t frown) & wine! Would Robert join Surtees in a glass of whiskey when they meet, or will he turn away in disgust!– Surtees takes it moderately it agrees with his constitution & pocket also! it is much cheaper than wine in England. Martha boards with Mrs Hickman, it was more comfortable for her than having her meals alone & I think is cheaper for Surtees, as Mrs H. offered to board her for 6s & 1s he allows her a week for beer money– I was afraid we should be obliged to send her back to London the other day—there was a disagreement in the kitchen[.] Martha did not behave well, but she was penitent, & so she stays, & I hope will do so, for I think she is fond of Baby. Oh! Ba how very sly of you not to have told us of your new book—I am most anxious to see it, it was not out when we left London. George gave us your last edition, & Surtees bought Robert’s which he is now reading regularly through, with great admiration—but this new one we must have– Did I tell you of Miss Bayley’s present to Baby—a frock—the body new, but the skirt according to her confession not so, perhaps manufactured by her own hands out of one gown of her own of younger days—work, with tacks at the bottom just like some we used to wear– Miss Bayley was very kind to me in London, seemed to take so much interest in Baby &c Of course it was for your sake—a word or two from you when opportunity offers, might be a pleasant acknowledgment to her. She is kind hearted, & very fond of you!!– Bummy is to be in London to stay with Arlette the last of this month– [11] She wrote a short letter to congratulate me on the birth of our darling, & only that one since we left the Winnings!—— Times change, & with them some people!——
This was written yesterday—this morng our dearest boy continues much better as he has been dancing about in great glee, but a rash has come out all over his body which Mrs Hickman calls the gum rash, & says it is another sign of the cutting of teeth, & very good for him that it should make its appearance—it seems to irritate him a little! tell me when Wiedeman cut his first tooth—I forget—but certainly not at 3 months!—— He does not exactly sleep with me now, but I have a crib put at the side of the bed level with it, & I slip him in & out as he requires me in the night, which is not very seldom—the crib is more convenient in this way than the cradle, this Arabel’s pretty cradle we keep in the drawing room where he sleeps during the day– I have had the muslin of it washed since I have been here for it brought away a good deal of London dirt, & now it looks as fresh as ever! I feel so much stronger since I have been here, & am able now to take my usual exercise!—but I am grown so idle I am quite ashamed of myself, the fact is Baby’s frequent calls upon me monopolizes the greatest part of my time!
I have to write to Susan[,] therefore must conclude– I trust this may reach you & find you well & happy! Do write to me as often as you can[.] I shall be very anxious to hear of your coming to England– Love to dear Robert—& kisses to darling Wiedeman.
Surtees’ & mine—dearest Ba’s most affectionately attached
Henrietta
Address, on integral page: Alla Signora / Signora Browning / Posta Restante / Roma / Italia.
Docket, in the hand of William Surtees Altham (né Cook): This letter was returned from dead letter office W.S.A.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: In private collection.
1. Year provided by postmark.
2. Five lines have been obliterated after receipt.
3. Sic, for Lynton, which lies on the north coast of Devonshire.
4. Probably William Henry Powell Gore-Langton (1824–73) who served as M.P. for West Somersetshire from 1851 to 1859 and 1863 to 1868. One of his seats was at Hatch Beauchamp, 5½ miles S.E. of Taunton.
5. Martha Bundy of Buckinghamshire, whom the Cooks engaged as a servant on 11 February 1851 in London. Her age is given as 20 years in the 1851 British Census.
6. The Gossets had four children, all sons: William Butler (1836–1906), John Alfred (1837–1921), Henry Allen (1841–67), and Francis Russell (1849–1930). Sir James and Louisa Carmichael had one child at this time, James Morse (1844–1902).
7. The farm house near Malvern where Henrietta and Surtees Cook had lived before moving to London.
8. Edward Walter Vyvyan (1808–1901), an old friend of Surtees Cook.
9. Prior to his receiving the living of South Benfleet, John Surtees preached regularly at St. Margaret’s, Westminster.
10. The Richard Chapmans of Trull and the Sir Frederick Chapmans of Tainfield House. Surtees Cook knew both families through his connections in the military.
11. Arlette Reynolds was at this time living with her family at 8 Gloucester Square, Paddington.
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