697. EBB to John Kenyon
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, vol. 4, 161.
Torquay.
June 10th 1839.
<***> but Goddis will” [1] —which is His mercy—& your kindness will induce you to hear gladly that,—with a full knowledge of the peculiar uncertainties of my complaint, I do consider myself, & am considered by the physician who attends me, hopefully better. The weakness is to be helped away a little, by the external air when I can get upon the sea—but the longing for home will be helped away by nothing I am sure until I can get back again to Wimpole Street– Thank you for wishing me to be back again!– I believe I never loved my dearest Papa & all of them, until I left them.
What an anxious winter our dear Miss Mitford has had!– She sent me a letter the other day however, full of gladness at her father’s being “better than ever”, & with so much shadow & perfume in it from the Silc[h]ester woods that I felt all the refreshment of walking there with her!–
I have had only one short interview with your friend Miss Garrow—& only last week for the first time—having seen no other face than my physician’s since I came to Torquay– I mean, of Torquay faces. Dont think me indifferent as to seeing Miss Garrow. It has been a thing forbidden,—& indeed for many weeks & months together, during the winter, I did not leave my bedroom. The Garrows have been very kind in sending me many sorts of gifts from the garden—& I have liked to think that I owed the attention in great measure, to my cousiny rights in you. Miss Garrow & I talked of you when we did meet at last—& shall do so still more. Neither of us will forget from whom our mutual introduction came—a remembrance very available for my benifit—& for which even she [2] cannot be liked so well as not to be liked better–
Dear Mr Kenyon, I am turning my note into a letter. A “long gossiping letter” is expected here every post—not that I shd have dared to expect such a thing without the promise!—but the promise makes me dauntless.
Henrietta & my brother unite in very kind regards to you dear Mr Kenyon,
with your affectionate cousin
E B Barrett.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: The Postal Museum.
1. EBB used “‘All goeth but Goddis will’—Old Poet” as the heading for her poem “An Island” in The Seraphim.
2. Underscored twice.
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