Correspondence

4821.  EBB to Louisa Crawford

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 28, 301.

126 Via Felice

Sunday morning [ca. February 1861] [1]

Offered for sale by Walter R. Benjamin Autographs, September 1974. 1¼ pp., 16mo. EBB writes that she would be happy to see Mrs. Crawford and her friend, either before three or after four: “I say this as we dine at three. Indeed if I sent no message it was simply I did not know you cared to come (especially up our stairs which require quite fanatical friends to climb them).” [2]

1. Approximate dating based on the return address (the Brownings resided at 126 Via Felice from November 1860 to June 1861) and on the invitation to Mrs. Crawford. After mourning the death of her sister Henrietta, EBB began seeing people again in the latter part of January.

2. EBB told Arabella in letter 4793 that there were “more than eighty steps” to climb.

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