3589. EBB to Geraldine Endsor Jewsbury

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 21, 216–217.

13 Dorset Street.

Baker Street–

July 26– [1855] [1]

My dear Miss Jewsbury

We come to England, & besides your ‘Adopted Child’, I find ‘Constance Herbert’ [2] to welcome me .. which I have been reading ever since,—between people’s heads & over their shoulders, in this great jam of London society– Thank you, thank you– Take the thanks all in a heap .. (for I am confused & confounded you see! Can one tumble down Niagara & go on talking grammatically?) but if I could divide & analyse I should explain that I meant to thank you for me and for the public .. & for me, in a twofold manner, once for your generosity as a giver, & secondly for your nobleness as a writer. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

We are here, dear Miss Jewsbury, for at least two months .. till the end of september, if the weather will let us .. and I long .. oh, I long .. to have the hope of the sight of your face meantime. My husband, being more ambitious still, covets another “tramp”. [3] Tell me if there is a chance for us–

I believe we have been here nearly a fortnight, .. & we have not yet seen the Carlyles. I speak to a wise woman—judge, by what I say [4] (therefore) how we are taken in a black cobweb, like flies!! We struggle hard however, & shall get to Chelsea some day–

Believe me, dear Miss Jewsbury,

Most truly yours

Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Alexander Turnbull Library.

1. Year provided by reference to the return address.

2. Geraldine Jewsbury’s novels The History of an Adopted Child (1853) and Constance Herbert (1855). The whereabouts of these presentation copies is unknown.

3. See the third paragraph in letter 3498.

4. Cf. I Corinthians 10:15.

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