3607. EBB to Henrietta Cook
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 21, 238–240.
[London]
Thursday. [Docket: 30 August 1855]
My very dearest Henrietta you will have set me down as the most ungrateful of women. I missed the post these two days back, & even now I am driven to the edge of a precipice for today, & shall have barely time to tell you that I have lost my Arabel & that London is a worse London to me than ever. She went away today at two to Eastbourne where a house is taken for ten weeks, & we shall follow in about ten days– Dearest, on examination, it wd cost you about six or seven shillings more, to go to Eastbourne than to come to London. We would interfere on your arrival (Arabel & I) & you should be spared all expences beyond. To have the joy of being there all together, would be worth everything .. except making you ill! Consider therefore– You may be stronger perhaps in a fortnight & feel more up to travelling– Would it be wise to have a medical opinion? [1]
You see I almost conclude that if you decide on coming it will rather be to Eastbourne than to London, both for Altham’s sake & Arabel’s whom otherwise you would miss– As for me I am ready to pick up any crumb that shall fall from your table [2] —& a thankful dog shall I be afterwards–
Arabel went away in an agony lest you shd think her unkind. I say you will be so absorbed in thinking me unkind, that there will be no time for hard thoughts of others– Sad as I am at losing Arabel I am satisfied she has gone—her headaches having come in a crowd lately from incessant labour at the Refuge, helped by sympathy with the poor Strattens– Fanny Stratten is still alive–
Mrs Ormus Biddulph [3] asked us to dinner on monday—but we dont go. Tomorrow evening however we give to Mrs Sartoris, (Adelaide Kemble) to meet Frederick Tennyson—and last night she, the Tennysons, Mr Forster, & Mr Fox (of Oldham) & Capt Aide spent the evening with us– Wimpole Street refused us everything except knead cakes—& grapes & melon, which George gave in his kindness– None of them wd come, because of it’s being the last hours with papa–
Oh—Henrietta! as to your intention! it would have ended in worse than failure perhaps– I never could dare such a risk– Think of Penini saying quite cool[l]y– “They have all gone away, except my grandpapa!” He had heard Wilson drop a word she did not mean for him. I dont agree with you as to hopeful symptoms– The quietness about Penini proved simply an absolute state of indifference towards me & mine– No more– No less, I think–
I have had an extraordinary “spiritual” letter from Mr Jarves—<in> America– The spirits begin now to carry material objects from one place (out of the house) to another– They make themselves partially visible very often– Mr Jarves has become a medium himself—has the knocking sounds at night, & other manifestations. A chair in his father’s diningroom raised itself (without being touched by a finger) to the top of the table, & back again—& the table itself floated up into the air above all their heads.– <His watch was wound up without a key, & went forty eight hours—&c &c &c[.]> [4] He comes back to Florence in September– I think you know who he is—the author of a book on Art, the son of one of the most wealthy men in America. He himself is very rich—& what is of more important [5] to the subject, perfectly veracious. Even Robert admits this–
By the way .. the subject is still in suspence in this house– Some of these days perhaps Robert will be a medium himself, & then he will believe– Till when I shall never stir the question more–
Mr Jerves says that it makes the greatest progress in America through all classes of society.
The Lyttons heard of an extraordinary medium [6] at Malvern.
Write to me dearest– If dear Bummy is with you, give her my very best love– How I do long to see you, dear, dear– My affectionate thoughts are with that kind Surtees & your two darlings– Penini looks somewhat better, I fancy—& in fact he is quite well–
Your ever attached
Ba–
Address: Mrs Surtees Cook / Wilton / Taunton.
Docket, in Surtees Cook’s hand: Aug. 30 / 1855.
Publication: Huxley, pp. 224–225 (in part).
Manuscript: British Library.
1. In regard to Henrietta’s pregnancy; see letter 3604, note 2.
2. Cf. Matthew 15:27.
3. Caroline Margaret Biddulph (née Thomas, d. 1896, aged 74) was the third daughter of John Godfrey Thomas, 6th Baronet, and his second wife Elizabeth Anne (née Vignoles), eldest sister of Julia Martin. Ormus Biddulph (1813–87), a prominent banker, had married Caroline on 17 March 1846. They were living at 80 Eccleston Square.
4. Bracketed passage interpolated above the line.
5. Sic, for importance.
6. Unidentified.
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