4957. RB to William Wetmore Story & Emelyn Story
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 29, 217–219.
Chez M. Chauvin, St Enogat près Vilaine,
Ile et Vilaine, France.
Aug: 30. ’61.
Dear Mrs Story—dear Friends all—your letter, [1] & the news of your health & well-being was a comfort to receive: I shall tell you so at once,—and that you caused me a delay of two days by addressing to Paris: this place is just by St Malo, in Bretagne, and well known to the Post-Office if not on the maps. I wanted to tell you that your note to Russell somehow missed him—he called on me in Florence, perhaps a week after your departure, [2] & had heard nothing of it,—but promised to effect the matter: I grew frightened however, & wrote myself to Hooker—with complete success: Hooker overcame the reluctance of Alessandri, and sent the “negative,” carefully packed, to Paris [3] —where it still is,—I cannot be sure it is unbroken, but may hope so, I suppose—you can therefore send the copy to Mrs Shaw [4] —to whom I will write when I find myself “up” to it. I had a very exact picture made of the room in Casa Guidi—after vainly trying to get it photographed—& of this picture I have photographs—giving a sufficient idea of it—which I will send you: both the negatives (of two photographs, differing in size) which I had secured, were broken—but they were ill packed, & may be replaced easily. I think I shall not examine the state of the invaluable one till I get to London. Then I will procure copies & send to various friends who have desired them, Mrs Bruen, Mrs Crawford &c.
You must know that I feel your affection, as I remember all your past goodness—but I can’t write about anything. I could perhaps speak—if we were together. But to write freezes me altogether. Tell me about yourselves—whatever interests you will deeply interest me. I read no newspapers, know absolutely nothing of what has been going on the last two months. I feel impatient at doing nothing, & long to begin with Pen. It is useless doing any more now—he may as well get in as great a stock of health & strength as is possible—it will all come into use presently in our grim London. (It is ungrateful of me to say this, with so many kind friends proposing to put light into the coming gloomy winter, but I feel so, & may say so to you.) I should be glad to know exactly where the following friends, who have written to me some time ago, now are, or may certainly be found in time,—Mrs Bruen & Perkins [5] —Mrs Tappan’s Sister, [6] —you know,—who was at Rome last year with her daughter. Mrs Mary Shaw,—I remember now. People move about, in Switzerland, and I cannot be certain of reaching them.
Miss Blagden will not return to Italy—at all events, not before she has made an endeavour to live in England. She goes to Clifton, in all probability, where Miss Cobbe is to see her comfortably settled. [7] I cannot believe she will bear the change. She has given up her Villa, where she was counting upon a joyous summer with Hatty. I blame her for all this, but unquestionably like it in her.
Dear Edie’s letter to Peni was hard to bear in some respects—I did remember so vividly the two last “24th August” [8] days! all that took place on morning & evening. Dear Edie will know I am keeping for her a little thing her affectionateness will take & preserve for those old days’ sake.
Is there a likelihood, as she gives one to understand, of your going to England,—or at least of William’s going next year? It would be a delight to look forward to that.
Don’t tell anybody about those rooms [9] —I should hate to hear that the first comer who could climb the staircase had entered in & taken possession. This is very silly, I know. But I only think & write sillinesses just now.
I only heard—know nothing but by hearsay—of the dreadful death of Mrs Longfellow. [10]
The staying at Casa Guidi was not the worst of it: I kept in my place there like a worm-eaten piece of old furniture looking solid enough, but when I was moved, I began to go to pieces: I am getting “mended up” here, & shall no doubt last my proper time, for all the past.
Where is Miss Dempster? [11] at Skibo Castle as before? I have a letter (to my wife) which I want to answer.
Forgive all stupidities—the trusting them to you implies real love, to be sure, & I am always lovingly & gratefully
Yours ever
R Browning.
Landor remains under my care. Lytton is very kind,—has written to me three times this fortnight: he is at Vienna.
Publication: BAF, pp. 78–81.
Manuscript: University of Texas.
1. Mrs. Story’s letter has not surfaced. As indicated in SD2503, it was sent from Switzerland, on 24 August and enclosed a note from Sarah Blake Shaw.
2. The Storys arrived in Florence from Leghorn on 30 June, the day after EBB’s death. They left Florence on the 2nd or 3rd of July (see SD2503). Odo Russell arrived in Florence from Rome, on his way to England, about 10 July. He reached England on 18 July, as indicated in SD2492.
3. By way of Giovanni Benzoni (see letter 4937, notes 2 and 3).
4. Sarah Blake Shaw (née Sturgis, 1815–1902), to whom Emelyn Story writes: “I will send you a photograph of Mrs Browning, one taken within a month of her death. I have six of them but wait to hear that the negative has not been destroyed before I give any away” (see SD2503).
5. Charles Callahan Perkins (1823–86), Mrs. Bruen’s son-in-law.
6. Mary Louisa Shaw (née Sturgis, 1821–70), sister of Caroline Tappan (née Sturgis, 1819–88), had one daughter, Mary Louisa Shaw (1842–74).
7. Isa Blagden stayed with Frances Power Cobbe from early September to 9 October at Belgrave House, Durdham Down, Bristol (see SD2519). The village of Clifton is nearby.
8. Doubtless, RB refers to Edith Story’s birthday celebrations at Siena in 1859 and 1860. However, she was born on 23 August 1844.
9. i.e., Casa Guidi.
10. Frances (“Fanny”) Longfellow (née Appleton, 1819–1861) died on 10 July from burns suffered as a result of her dress catching on fire. The Boston Daily Advertiser of 11 July 1861 carried a report of her death: “A sad accident, which proved fatal yesterday forenoon, befel Mrs. Fanny Longfellow, wife of Prof. Henry W. Longfellow, at their residence in Cambridge, on Tuesday afternoon. While seated at her library table, making seals for the entertainment of her two youngest children, a match or piece of lighted paper caught her dress, and she was in a moment enveloped in flames. Prof. Longfellow, who was in his study, ran to her assistance, and succeeded in extinguishing the flames, with considerable injury to himself; but too late for the rescue of her life. … Both of the sufferers were under the influence of ether through the night, and yesterday morning Mrs. Longfellow rallied a little, but at eleven o'clock she was forever released from suffering” ([p. 2]).
11. Charlotte Louisa Hawkins Dempster (1835–1913), novelist and essayist, the eldest daughter of James Whitshed Hawkins Dempster (né Hawkins, 1795–1841) and his wife, Charlotte Soper Dempster (1808–41). She met the Brownings at Rome during the winter of 1859–60, when travelling with her brother, George Hawkins Dempster (1831–75). She is listed in the Brownings’ address book of this period (AB-4) at “Skibo Castle, Dornock [sic, for Dornoch], Sutherland, N.B., Scotland.”
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