4245. EBB to George Goodin Moulton-Barrett
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 25, 236–237.
Havre–
September 18 [sic, for 19]– [1858] [1]
My dearest George, now I am keeping my promise about letting you know our address in Paris, which I heard myself an hour ago. Come & find us at rue Castiglione, 6. [2] Sarianna Browning undertook to get rooms for us, &, being exhorted to select a central situation, she has done so, at the expense, I fear, of very great incom[m]odities, as we are to feel ourselves “in a box,” she says .. meaning of course a pill-box. Arabel is “in for it” with us—& the advantage remains, of our living or dying in excellent society & neighbourhood. It’s the worst time possible for taking apartments in Paris for a short time, seeing that the season begins, the town fills fast, and the landlords look forward with unslackened illusions to impracticable prices–
Let us all congratulate one another on dearest Storm’s safe return. [3] Arabel had a horrible fright about the telegraph—& I for my part, wonder only that she could open & read it at all. You see if I had gone to England, I should have seen little of Storm, .. “so all is for best,” [4] as a poet says, nearly related to me. Its delightful to me to think of that dear Storm as near & well,—may God bless him!–
Meanwhile how are you, George?– Have you amused yourself better at Heidelberg than was possible at Havre, where you could only get pleasure by giving it—dear dear George? How kind you were to me!—how kind & how tender!——shall I ever, ever forget it? It makes the tears come, only to think of it all.
For the rest, I am quite pleased to go away from Havre, & so, I think, is Arabel. Wherever I may “go a-roaming, a-roaming, by the light of the moon” [5] again, it wont be to Havre. Come & help us at Paris, where we mean to do rather better.
Little Pen is ‘in despair,’ he says, “about his ships”, and decides on carrying the man of war on his shoulder, for the great advantage of all fellow-passengers in the train tomorrow– He still wears on his finger the ring given to him by Mademoiselle Eisendecker, [6] & wrote her an affecting letter on the morning of her departure, beginning “my dearest wife,” & hoping to be married to her in Paris– Did Arabel tell you that she [7] did not sleep, for her part, in Paris, till she had written a letter to Arabel,—full of all affectionateness?– Really it is a pity that I should lose her for a sister in law. What with her music, & her grace, her frankness & lovingness, she has caught me up a good deal.
Since she went, our chief business has been in photographing– Robert dragged me by the hair of my head to the jetty, and there I have been “done” over & over, & in all sorts of senses, till I was nearly out of mine. Just as he began to be convinced that nothing could be produced (upon the material) fit for anything but a frontispiece for the Woman’s Journal, [8] representing all the wrongs of the sex by a face of exquisite misery .. (& I thought of sending it to Bessie Parkes the editress for that purpose) .. just at the moment of his “giving it up”, a sudden success was attained,—& you would be surprised how the sun has succeeded in glorifying me. [9] I am, indeed surprised. It must have been a ‘coup de soleil’ & a ‘coup d’etat’ in one. Robert, in a state of ecstasy, has been having copies multiplied ever since, and if we did’nt go away tomorrow we should have to beg our way back to Florence. One photograph is already despatched to America, for engraving, [10] to lose no time towards “the restitution of all things.” [11] Then Arabel has given me a most lovely portrait of Penini [12] .. looking like a Velasquez, [13] Robert says. And even Annunziata has had herself photographed for her mother—an act of piety recompensed cruelly by the free gift of a pair of squinting eyes.
Arabel & Robert send you their love—& Peni—dont let me forget[.] [14]
Your ever loving Ba
Publication: B-GB, pp. 221–224.
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.
1. Year provided by postmark. The correct day is suggested by EBB’s remark about going “away tomororow”; the Brownings left Le Havre for Paris on 20 September 1858.
2. The “6” is underscored three times.
3. Surtees recorded that Charles John (“Storm”) arrived at Bryngwyn on 19 September 1858 (see SD2204), having reached England from Jamaica some days prior to the 19th.
4. RB, Colombe’s Birthday (1844), V, 353.
5. Cf. Byron, “So, We’ll Go No More A-Roving” (Thomas Moore, Letters and Journals of Lord Byron, 1830), lines 11–12.
6. Emilie von Eisendecher (afterwards von Breidenbach, 1838–1903), daughter of Baron Wilhelm Albert von Eisendecher, of Mannheim, Baden, and his wife, Emilie.
7. Emilie von Eisendecher.
8. The English Woman’s Journal.
11. Cf. Acts 3:21.
13. Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez (1599–1660), Spanish painter.
14. This line and the closing are written on the flap of the envelope, the rest of which has not survived.
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