SD955. Arabella Moulton-Barrett to Henrietta Moulton-Barrett
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 341 (in part).
[London]
[21 November 1838] [1]
My very dearest Henrietta–
Sam has desired me to fill up his corners for him as he says he is obliged to go out. As I know how disappointed you will be, at receiv<i>ng so short a letter from him, I can assure, I very reluctantly write what ought to have been written by him, but you know, as h<e> cannot & will not, you must be contented with my sayings fo<r> the present– Thank you dearest Henrietta, for your letter that I received this morning, & let me tell you, that what gave m<e> as much pleasure to read in it as any thing, was to kn<o>w that we are to receive three letters from Torquay every week<.> I am so glad I do not at all understand how you could possibl<y> have been disappointed in not hearing from us– I can tell you I often get a scold from all of them here for writing so often to you, and when I told George last Wednesday that I had been writing to Ba, he said “What a strange fancy, why you wrote only the other day–“ You see we have much more regard for yr pockets than you have yrselves– How I wish your account of our dearest Ba could have been more satisfactory. I cannot bear to think of the return of that hoarseness, but I trust it has gone now. You did not say anything of it– May the God of all soon rejoice our hearts, in granting us what we all so ardently desire & pray for!– I did not say anything of Sam’s arrival in the P.S. I wrote to Ba the other day, as I concluded of course that Papa has done so– How well he is looking & quite handsome—Mrs Nuttall says. It is indeed a great happiness to have him amongst us again, & to see Papa so well pleased with him. He dined yesterday with Capt Selby, but was at home long before we went to bed– Tomorrow he is going to dine with some Jamaica friends at Furnival’s Inn– Oh! Henrietta, I did wish for you so much last Saturday when Minny brought me a sheet of paper to ask me to write a bill of fare– We had a dinner party of 15 people. Our guests were Capt & Mrs Selby—Mr J. & Miss Anne Selby & some 3d or 4th cousins of ours– A Mr Appleton—dreadfully vulgar—a Liverpool merchant—I had the pleasure of sitting by him at dinner & was anything but pleased with my position[.] Papa was walking about the drawing room all the morning making such preparations, as if at <six the> royal family were coming!– Tell Ba he placed her busts of Dante & |Tasso| on the pillars on the stair case. I suppose to meet Capt Selby’s taste for the fine arts!– But he says he is going to buy busts to place there!– Next Friday there is again to be another of these miserable parties– Mr & Mrs Dewar & Capt. Barrett are coming– I have just been interrupted by a visit from Louisa & Sophia Tulk– They came to ask me to go to a party they are going to give on the 3d of Decber Louisa’s birthday!– I refused as politely as I cd They are quite well—tell Bro—& desire me to give you all their kind love!– Give my best love to dearest Bummy & to Bro[.] I am going to write a line to Ba upon some private business & as it is nothing that will give any interest to any one but to herself—I have begged her not to show my letter. I assure you it does not concern any of us excepting herself—so you need none of you in the least care about seeing it– Have I not filled up Sam’s corners well? Treppy has not been well, so she has not dined here once since Sam has been here– She is going to give a party next week, in honor of him.
Yr very aff<ecte>
Arabel
Address, on integral page, in the hand of Samuel Moulton-Barrett: Miss H. Barrett / 3– Beacon Terrace / Torquay / Devon.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library, Altham Archive.
1. Date provided by SD956.
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