3881. EBB to Henrietta Cook
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 23, 84–85.
39 Devonshire Place
Saturday. [Docket: 11 October 1856]
Ever dearest Henrietta, Peni’s letters [1] have waited for me—and I have been ground down by work. There’s a better account of papa by yesterday’s post from Arabel– Ventnor is damp & foggy, she says, & does not agree with him well. I have been very anxious .. & shall be sadder than usual in leaving England this year. May God help us all–
To stay is no good to anybody however—& the wretched weather here, fog & east wind, have affected me so that I cant send a flourishing account of myself in reply to your enquiries. Robert wants to get me off as whole as possible,—so that we are trying not to overstay this day week—saturday– Hard work will it be if we make out the possibility of it– The book is still within eighty pages of its completion—but we have sent the pages up to these, to America, in their completed state.
Mary Ruskin [sic, for Ruxton] has been here—making many enquiries of you & your darlings. She says her husband, who never wrote verses in his life, filled a quire of paper with poetry the other day, in the course of three quarters of an hour, under “spiritual guidance”– I am to see some of it. She tells me that the thing is spreading widely,—& especially within the last fortnight—& that it is supposed the mediumship in England will be of a higher character than in America, by much. Mary looks very well, & pretty– Sophia Cottrell has returned to Florence, but will be in England again next year.
You must write to Trippy soon– Great Quebec Street, Baker Street, 13– She looks to me very well– I am concerned to have only seen her once—but the fog holds me by the throat.
Lizzie came here with your letter—“she never knew anything so kind in her life.” The temptation to go to you seemed great,—especially since she heard of the archery-meetings– But she has sailed by this time—really, perhaps wisely, .. Robert says wisely– She seems to him so very young & giddy & dizzy & everything of that kind.
Oh, in such haste!–
Your ever loving Ba.
Address, in Pen’s hand: Master Altham Cook / Wilton / Taunton.
Docket, in Surtees’s hand: 1856– Oct. 11.
Publication: Huxley, pp. 258–259 (in part).
Manuscript: British Library.
Enclosure:
My dearest Altham,
I hope you are going to enjoy yourself sweeping up the grass, as you say Hutchings was mowing it; and I wish I was there to help you. Now the rain is pouring down here, and I cant go out; but I have had a pleasure today in getting your letter and in reading it too. I go out in the streets almost every day with my sword and my gun, and frighten all the people. And now my story’s begun. And now my story’s done.
Goodbye!
your affectionate
Penini–
1. One of these has survived; see enclosure.
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