4548. EBB to Sophia Eckley
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 27, 86–87.
28– Via del Tritone
Thursday. [?15] [December 1859] [1]
I shall not let Robert’s letter to dear Mr Eckley go without a line from me to you, dearest Sophie. We had a good journey, and are settled in a most warm & pleasant apartment, better than our old one inasmuch as it is larger & better furnished & turns four rooms instead of three to the sun. Also the staircase is one of the best in Rome & leads simply to a secondo piano– I have seated myself sedulously to work––and my friends must accept the bare rags of me (in letters & otherwise) from henceforth.
Penini, too, is going to put a furrow into his field (the furrows in the brow being left for me) this winter—and for two hours at a time, three times a week, he is under a Roman priest [2] together with Edith Story, to be instructed in Latin & arithmetic– If he runs as well by her side as his poney did by our vettura horses, it will answer very well—but he began by being rather pathetic about it & upbraiding me with tears for not teaching him myself in this matter also. But Robert & I thought it an advantage that he should learn to put his shoulder to the wheel without a papa & mama on either side, poor darling: so he had to submit. He likes it already more, or dislikes it less than he thought. The Abbate said “Bravo” to him five times yesterday, he recounted to me with great satisfaction.
Rome is not the Rome of last year, but loses no charm for lack of the crowd which was so noisy then. My husband has Mr Cartwright & the Russells close by [3] —& we had a visit from Dr Pantaleone which cheered me much as to politics the other day. The quiet is complete—too complete,—if there were not an imminent future for us.
Let no one say meanwhile that the pope gives no reforms. There has lately come out an edict against crinolines, printed & posted; [4] and now we must all look still more to our petticoats than our consciences on entering St Peters.
Let me tell you how your kindness in lending me Charles Reade’s ‘Love me little’ [5] helped the journey– It is very clever, & both Robert & I took pleasure from it–
And the book? the m∙s?—how does that get on?– [6] Remember not to lose the London season,—as it will be a disadvantage if you do. Then the modelling [7] & the rest? May God bless you in all things– May God bless you all– Love to dear Mr Eckley & Fanny [8] —& dear Dody. Be built up in all manner of prosperities, external & spiritual, by the affectionate
warm wishes of EBB
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Berg Collection.
1. Dating based on EBB’s references to Pen’s Latin studies, also mentioned in letter 4547.
3. Odo Russell, Arthur Russell, and their mother, Lady William Russell, were nearby at 64 Via Sistina. William Cornwallis Cartwright was a little farther off at 63 Via del Corso.
5. Love Me Little, Love Me Long (1859) by Charles Reade (1814–84), a love story featuring clever dialogue and an abundance of humor.
6. Sophia Eckley’s travel book, The Oldest of the Old World (1860).
7. Mrs. Eckley was studying sculpture at this time and later exhibited at the gallery of the Boston Athenæum from 1864 to 1867.
8. Frances Augusta Eckley (see letter 4092, note 9). “Dody” was a nickname of the Eckleys’ son, David Eckley, III (see vol. 24, p. 242).
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