SD945. Arabella Moulton-Barrett to Hugh Stuart Boyd

Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 340 (in part).

[London]

Thursday [27 September 1838] [1]

My dear Mr Boyd

In the first place, I must let you know that I consider it quite as an affront to me, for any one to pay the postage of any letters or notes of mine. And I think yr “stupid notes” are well worth paying two pence for! We heard yesterday from Ba,—& although she says she is better in some respects, yet I did not think it altogether a satisfactory account. She is very much weaker than she was, but this is occasioned by the violent remedies her medical man makes use of– She says she has corrected & returned the proof sheets of the poem she has written for the Amaranth– The title of the poem is “A Sabbath on the sea”– We were told the other day by Mrs Orme, that the author of the review in the Sunbeam is a Mr Eraud [sic, for J.A. Heraud]—a person of no great celebrity– At any rate, we ought to be much obliged to him for puffing Ba as he does.

You have excited my curiosity so much about the book that has been sent to you, that I am half inclined to set off in the rain to know about it. This weather will not last for ever, and the first bright sun will take me to Circus Road. On Friday I did not go out—& on Saturday some ladies were here, & I cd not leave them– I am sorry you had the trouble of taking down the gigantic volume’s– Mary has not yet asked her father about his books.

Papa left us this morning to go to the north. He is to remain about a week or ten days– I had a note from Annie yesterday– She is in Wicklow. You will not thank me for this long note–

Yours very sincerely

Arabel Barrett

Address, on integral page: H. S. Boyd Esqr / 3. Circus Road / St John’s Wood.

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library.

1. This letter is postmarked, 28 September 1838, a Friday.

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