3658. EBB to Julia Martin
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 21, 310–312.
13. Dorset Street
Tuesday. [16 October 1855] [1]
My dearest Mrs Martin, I cant go without writing to you—but I am ground down with last things to do on last days, & it must be a word only– Dearest friend, I have waited morning by morning for a clear half hour, because I did’nt like to do your bidding & write briefly, though now, after all, I am reduced to it– We leave England tomorrow, & shall sleep (D.V.) [2] at 102 Rue de Grenelle, Faubourg St Germain, Paris, .. I am afraid in a scarcely convenient apartment, which a zealous friend, [3] in spite of our own expressed opinion, secured for us for the term of six months, because of certain yellow satin furniture which only she could consider “worthy of us”– We shall probably have to dress on the staircase—but what matter? There’s the yellow satin to fall back upon.
If the rooms are not tenable, we must underlet them, or try–
I have had a disagreeable visit to England on the whole. Painful, I expected it to be—& more painful it has turned out. For nearly two months I lost Arabel who makes amends when she is near me for so much. Dear, dear Arabel. We could’nt get down to Eastbourne from the simple want of means– England exanimates the purse so, & ours has a weakly original constitution. Then Henrietta could’nt get to London (in spite of her husband’s permission & her own urgent wish, poor dear!) seeing that she was miserably out of travelling order & in the anti-Malthusian way– [4] Almost it’s a pity, considering the two children, & the means not ample—& yet I find it hard to think so.
My little Penini went down to Eastbourne with Arabel .. (who came up and stayed in London incognita at the risk of her reputation & persuaded him!) for three days—having frequent fits of melancholy & tears, I understand, in spite of all the petting & donkey-riding & shrimping. He was very happy however between whiles. I wish you could see my Penini–
One of the pleasantest things which has happened to us here (let me interrupt my groaning) is the coming down on us of the Laureate, who being in London for three or four days from the Isle of Wight, spent two of them with us,—dined with us, smoked with us, opened his heart to us (& the second bottle of port) and ended by reading “Maud” through, from end to end, & going away at half past two in the morning. If I had had a heart to spare, certainly he would have won mine– He is captivating with his frankness, confidingness & unexampled naïvété! Think of his stopping in ‘Maud’ every now & then—“There’s a wonderful touch! That’s very tender. How beautiful that is!–” Yes, and it was wonderful, tender, beautiful—& he read exquisitely, in a voice like an organ .. rather music than speech.
War, war. It is terrible certainly. [5] But there are worse plagues, deeper griefs .. dreader wounds than the physical. What of the forty thousand wretched women in this city? The silent writhing of them is to me more appalling than the roar of the cannons. Then this war is necessary on our sides. Is that wrong necessary? It is not so clear to me.
Can I write of such questions in the midst of packing?
May God bless you both. Write to me in Paris—& do come soon & find us out.
The Hedleys are very rash I think in hazarding a winter in England.
Robert’s love– My love to you both dearest friends– May God love you.
Your ever affectionate
Ba.
Mrs Procter .. Barry Cornwall’s wife .. has told me that she saw you at Malvern. She is quite a social power.
Publication: LEBB, II, 212–213 (in part).
Manuscript: Columbia University.
1. Dated by EBB’s reference to the Brownings’ departure from “England tomorrow.”
2. Deo volente (“God willing”).
3. Louisa Corkran.
4. i.e., pregnant. In An Essay on the Principle of Population (2nd ed., 1803), Thomas Robert Malthus (1766–1834) advocated voluntary preventive checks on population growth.
5. Although no significant land battles occurred after the fall of Sebastopol on 9 September 1855, the Crimean War continued until an armistice was agreed to on 26 February 1856. The peace treaty that officially ended the war was signed in Paris on 30 March 1856.
___________________
