3870. EBB to Henrietta Cook
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 23, 69–70.
39 Devonshire Place.
Wednesday– [1–2 October 1856] [1]
My beloved Henrietta After you had missed Surtees for above two hours you had him back again,—but what are we to do who have missed you all yesterday, and miss you today, & must miss you tomorrow?– Dear, it was so sad to come away, that, almost, one lost the sense of the blessing of having gone– Not for long, however. It is delightful & precious to me to be able to think of you in that nest of love, with the three babies round you, and the laburnum tree looking in at the window. And oh, how kind you & Surtees were to us, & how pleasant is the remembrance of such kindness—how pleasant, how precious. We take with us not only a true appreciation, but a real sisterly & brotherly love for your Surtees—tell him so—tell him that I rejoice too to know you belong to him! and that’s the fullest of compliments as it is the tenderest of truths–
What did you say when you knew that we had been for two hours so near you? But I could not go through all the pain of the goodbye over again. We managed the journey very well .. had sandwiches here (besides yours) and coffee there .. we took care of one another, I assure you—and Penini laid his head on Robert’s knee & went to sleep. Somebody said, “I think papa spoils you,”—on which he opened his eyes & gravely explained, “No, it is’nt papa: it’s mama.” We had our carriage full of professed wits .. & multitudinous were the jokes. In the midst of them, & at half past ten oclock we arrived in London,—and were in Devonshire Place before eleven– So tired, that I scorned the sight of the fire & spread table-cloth, & broke through a panegyric of Ferdinando’s upon a certain ham (“eccel[l]entissimo”) and rushed up to bed at once. However, a cup of tea came after,—& with that & my morphine I made out a tolerably sleepful night. That second-class is dreadful, Henrietta, notwithstanding. Peni keeps talking of the children,—especially of Mary. He has decidedly a tendresse for Mary, and I cant wonder. Mary’ll be a Helen to fire another Troy, one of these days– Give a kiss to that darling, and to the other .. Altham .. and to the third, the baby—and write & tell me if they did’nt all of them (except baby) set down Peni as a teazer. Tell me, too, how they & you like the new nurse. [2] Those changes are so painful–
No letter from Ventnor at all. One from Mr Kenyon, & one from Miss Bayley. He remains better.
London is empty, & we have had only five relays of visitors today. I sent Penini with Ferdinando to Trippy’s early in the morning—& she was gracious to the chickens & cream– We hear of quantities of people going to Algiers, but I dont much fancy we shall go, in spite of urgings on their part. I have not been out today. London was wrapt this morning in fog very uninvitingly; & besides I was tired still from yesterday. After this letter I shall write to Alfred. Oh, let me remember to tell you that I have seen Orestes, & that really he is a pretty, interesting baby of just a year, with great black Italian eyes. One of Peni’s first questions in Italian to Ferdinando, was, .. “And how did you feel, Ferdinando, when you first saw Orestes?–” Ferdinando felt he did’nt know how .. ‘non sapeva come.’
I enclose my verses (for Ibbit) [3] which I meant to leave, & find in my desk. Robert will send his, when he has breathing time.
May God bless & love you, dearest dear Henrietta, & dearest Surtees & all of you, prays your
loving Ba–
And Robert too, .. I may say. Remember my last words for Sidbrook. [4]
Thursday
Dearest Henrietta, This letter was too late for the post yesterday—& now comes your’s. Thank you for all your love with all mine. Surtees’s speech [5] reads capitally– I will give it as you say to Alfred. K<isses> from Peni to his darling friends– That dear Altham!
Address: Mrs Surtees Cook / Wilton / Taunton.
Publication: Huxley, pp. 256–258 (in part).
Manuscript: British Library.
1. Date provided by Taunton postmark of 3 October 1856, a Friday.
2. Possibly Sarah, whom Surtees refers to as the Cooks’ nurse the following summer (see Surtees, 2 July 1857). We have been unable to further identify her.
3. These manuscripts, meant for EBB’s cousin Elizabeth Jane (“Ibbit”) Hedley (afterwards Eaton, 1834–1909), have not been traced.
4. Sidbrook House, the Hedleys’ residence in Somersetshire, 2½ miles N.E. of Taunton, near West Monckton.
5. Untraced.
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