3132. EBB to Mary Russell Mitford
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 18, 239–241.
London.
Friday. [8 October 1852] [1]
My dearest Miss Mitford I am quite in pain to have to write a farewell to you after all. As soon as Wilson had returned—& she stayed away much longer than last year .. we found ourselves pushed to the edge of our time for remaining in England,—& the accumulation of business to be done before we could go, pressed on us. I am almost mad with the amount of things to be done, as it is—but I should have put the visit to you at the head of them & swept all the rest on one side for a day, if it had’nt been for the detestable weather, & my horrible cough which combines with it. When Wilson came back, she found me coughing in my old way, & it has been without intermission up to now, or rather waxing worse & worse. To have gone down to you & inflicted the noise of it on you, would have simply made you nervous, while the risk to myself would have been very great indeed– Still, I have waited & waited—feeling it scarcely possible to write to you & say “I am not coming this year”. Ah—I am so very sorry & disappointed! I hoped against hope for a break in the weather, & an improvement in myself——now, we must go, & there is no hope. For about a fortnight I have been a prisoner in the house– This climate wont let me live—there’s the truth. So we are going on monday– We go to Paris for a week or two, & then to Florence, & then to Rome, & then to Naples, .. but we shall be back next year, if God pleases, and then I shall sieze on an early summer-day to run down straight to you & find you stronger, if God blesses me so far– Think of me & love me a little meanwhile. I shall do it by you– And do, do .. since there is no time to hear from you in London, .. send a fragment of a note to Arabel for me that I may have it in Paris before we set out on our long Italian journey– Let me have the comfort of knowing exactly how you are before we set out. As for me I expect to be better on crossing the channel. How people manage to live & enjoy life in this fog & cold is inexplicable to me. I understand the system of the American rapping spirits considerably better–
Henrietta has a little girl– She was ill only three hours & is doing excellently now, thank God– My heart will ache at leaving England, for Arabel’s sake—but it has ached in it too– I tried another letter—which was sent back again—with an intimation that there should be an end for the future to such “pestering” applications. No throb of natural tenderness– [2] Well!–
The Tennysons in the kindest words pressed us to be present at their child’s christening which took place last tuesday, but I could not go—it was not possible– Robert went alone therefore, & nursed the baby for ten or twelve minutes to its obvious contentment he flatters himself– It was christened Hallam Tennyson. Mr Hallam was the godfather & present in his vocation. That was touching—was’nt it? I hear that the Laureate talks vehemently against the French president & the French—but for the rest, he is genial & good, & has been quite affectionate to us–
Here are the autographs [3] …
Saturday morning
I wrote so far last night, & this morning I have your letter. You will understand now why I did not send the autographs directly. I was waiting & waiting in the hope of being able to carry them to you– They are enclosed–
I am delighted to see our dearest Mr Kenyon looking so well this time & seeming in such happy spirits. By the way he promises to send you his own autograph.
Ah—I know you would’nt have done such a thing as print a letter of mine, you knowing how I hate such publicities. You did it to frighten me– You would’nt either print or give. I know you would’nt. We send the three autographs you ask for.
So I go without seeing you! Grieved I am. Love me to make amends– Robert’s love goes with me.
Your ever most affectionate
Ba–
Henrietta has a little girl & is very well, thank God.
Publication: EBB-MRM, III, 373–375.
Manuscript: Wellesley College.
1. Date provided by EBB’s reference to the Hallam Tennyson christening, “which took place last tuesday,” 5 October 1852.
2. In the reply she received from her father, which she discussed more fully in letter 3116.
3. Miss Mitford was collecting autographs and portraits for three different illustrated editions of her Recollections of a Literary Life, as indicated in a letter dated 22 September 1852 to her friend Henrietta Tindal, of whom she requested “three autographs” consisting of “a stanza of one of your own poems, with the name and date” (Chorley, II, 53). Apparently, Miss Mitford asked the Brownings for three autographs as well. We have been able to trace only one of the three illustrated editions, an elaborate six-volume, large quarto set (now at Huntington) that was commissioned by John Dillon, a wealthy London businessman. However, this set in its present form does not contain either of the Brownings’ autographs. Possibly, the autograph provided by RB included lines 194–195 from the introduction of Pippa Passes. Such a manuscript signed by him and dated 8 October 1852 was offered for sale by Stan V. Henkels & Co., Philadelphia, in 1933, present whereabouts unknown (see Reconstruction, E366).
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