4. Elizabeth Moulton to EBB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 4–5.
[?Mickleham]
July 18th—— [1810] [1]
This Morning post brought me a Letter very prettily written indeed for a little Girl of four Years old, so pleas’d am I, that I cou’d not let the day pass without writing a few lines, to thank my Beloved Child for her attention & expressions of Love, which I most sensibly feel– I am so proud of my Letter that it shall be put in a very careful place, till my Darling pet grows up, then I will shew it to you, & together, talk over the delight you took in writing, & the raptures I experienced in reading your first performance– Tell Papa & Mama to give you as many Kisses as I have bestowd on it, which I assure D[ea]r Ba are not a few; say to Papa it made me doubly happy, putting me in mind of the time I receivd his first Letter, which I still have, & will give you as a Keepsake when I come to see you [2] —— Ask Bro when I am to have a Letter from him, I hope he is a good Boy, & attends to his Book– He will never be a Man till he does——
Trepsack sends you many Kisses & is quite pleasd at your improvement, Kisses also to Bro, Henrietta—let Mama know that you are to plead my excuse, I intended this day writing to her but cou’d not resist the pleasure I felt to let you know how good I thought you– tell her she must not stand upon ceremony, as she must always have a great deal to say about you, Bro & Henrietta– tell Papa he too shall hear from me before long– at present I am quite taken up with the Letter from my dear little Girl of four years old, & can think, & talk, of nothing else——. Junius says God Bless little Miss, I always knew she was very good, & am quite pleasd to see her write so well—— I suppose you will receive this in the Morng—when all the family are assembled at Breakfast. You must go to each of them, & in a very pretty manner present Trepsack & Grdmama best Love– tell Bum next time Mama writes, she must Send the Dutchess of Northumberland’s Seal, as I want the impression, Kiss dear Grandmama Clarke [3] for me & ask her if she is not delighted with a little Girl of our acquaintance[.] My best affections with many Kisses attend
My dearest Ba
from yours truly attachd
EM——
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.
1. Writer mentions EBB’s being four years old, the age she reached in March 1810.
2. This letter has been preserved (see SD21).
3. Arabella Graham-Clarke, EBB’s maternal grandmother, who apparently was visiting Hope End at this time. It was through her (née Altham) that the Graham-Clarkes, and EBB herself, traced their descent from King Edward I (A Portfolio of Royal Descents, London, 1902).
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