SD957. Henrietta Moulton-Barrett to Samuel Moulton-Barrett (brother)
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 341–342 (in part).
3. Beacon Terrace Torquay
Saturday [24 November 1838] [1]
My ever dearest Sam
Thank you much for your letter which was long in coming but very welcome when it did come—as you are a man of so much business I suppose I must forgive the delay—& before I say more endeavor in some measure to satisfy your anxieties about our beloved Ba– She put on the blister last night, but this is not to say that she is any worse, for thank God she passed a comfortable day yesterday, & slept well last night, & consequently appears comfortable this morning– I told you that Dr Barry has been for some days passed threatening her with a blister, I feared she would not escape it, but if it does her good in the end, it is worth while feeling uncomfortable for a day or so with it– She has only kept it on for six hours, so it will not be so bad to bear—tell dearest Arabel that she has had no encrease [sic] of hoarseness lately, so I know not exactly to what she alludes—indeed I think I may say that the cough sounds less hoarse than it did– She is beginning to walk a little every day—as Dr Barry seems to fear the habit of always lying– He gave her a close examination yesterday morng, when I went up to see Jane, & I did not hear the result– She of course feels her weakness very much when she tries to walk, & cannot do a great deal in that way yet—but Dr Barry saw her make the attempt the other day, & expressed himself satisfied with it– We were delighted to read the favorable report you gave of them all– I thought you would be surprised & pleased with the improvement so manifest in them—of course it is incumbent upon you to admire Georgie so particularly since he is always considered to resemble yourself—tell him that his friend & admirer Miss Blackwood has left Torquay, & will be in London & in the Regents Park in February, nevertheless let him not build his hopes too high for after all, his eyes have no chance with those of Mr Clarke– How happy they all must be to have you with them dearest Sam– I am so glad that you like our new house—indeed I believe we shall find it a very comfortable one, & a happy one if it only pleased God to restore our dearest Ba soon to us– pray take care of the furniture in the Turkish room, & mind that neither you nor the boys spoil it, as it is the company room– We were glad to hear of your gaities, & thought of you last eveng, the day of your second dinner party– I hope Arabel performed her part well in ordering the dinner à la Madme d’Etré– Your visit to Sidmouth must have been short & sweet—but I could not help wishing that you had entered a little more into the details of it but I dare say all the time you were writing you were thinking of the price of sugars or some such subjects– However further particulars I shall extract from you, when I can have them viva voce– I want to know when the Newdicks are going abroad– It was very kind in Mr Newdick coming to your |rencontre| the other day, all the way to Exeter– Did you & Henry take my note to Louisa Tulk as I requested? I hope so—if Arabel does not go to celebrate her birthday, I hope you may, as remember she is a friend of mine–& you should treat all such with the greatest veneration– When I wrote last, I forgot to say that Mr Clarke[,] Georgie’s rival would be very much obliged by any one of your party going or sending for him to Mr Campbell’s—4 Mount Street—Grosvenor Sqre to ask there for a little parcel for him which perhaps might be sent with <…>—or if they are already on their journey I dare say dearest Papa will bring it with him when he comes– he says it will not take up much room– I heard the other day from Mrs Martin[.] She gives a bad account of her neighbors—Lord Somers is very ill indeed—the Miss Buddulphs still dreadfully anxious about Mr Biddulph—they are going to London very shortly—& the poor Cliffs as we heard the the greatest destress [sic]– They were staying with Mrs Best but Mrs Cliff had determined upon going to Ireland– I am really sorry for them– What does not that Mr Cliff deserve?—the Peytons she says are still in the greatest anxiety about their lawsuit– Mr & Mrs Martin are very busy building a greenhouse they have submitted this whole responsibility of it to Matthews– Mr Martin says at one time there was a great probability of their all coming here with poor Miss Martin, who still remains such a great Invalid—but I am sorry to say this plan seems to have been given up—there has been such a emense [sic] haul of herrings immediately in front of our windows this morng– It was a beautiful sight—& I dare say we shall benefit by more than the looks of them– Jane’s cold is better but not well yet, & poor little Ibbit Jane was in bed yesterday morning when we were there, being dosed—She had a cold too—I am sorry to hear that dear Treppy is not well yet—but she must have her recovery in near anticipation, since Arabel says she is going to give a rout in honor of your return– Give her our best love always– Tell Arabel I did not think her lines at all intrusive– I hope she does not suspect me of curiosity– I have only the proper portion that belongs to my sex– We have seen nothing of your friend Mr Vivien– So I suppose he is not arrived yet– Poor Bro has got a cold which [illegible word] the |harmony| of his singing voice, but he looks “pretty well, I thank you”– One of Minny’s doses would do him good. Give her my kind love– I am glad you thought her looking so well– All before this was written in the morning dearest Sam—I must only add a very few words now– Dearest Ba has not passed quite so comfortable a day as yesterday—owing to the blister I dare say in great measure—& partly to be attributed to the encrease of coldness in the air—which always affects her—but we keep her rooms as high as 63 or 64 by Papas thermometer– The rain is gone but it is not nearly so warm today as it has been– Ba was pleased by the arrival of the Literary Gazette yesterday Eveng directed by Papa– Give him & all our very best love—to dearest Arabel I will soon write again—& I hope we may soon hear from some of you
Ever dearest Sam’s
most affectionately attached
Henrietta B.
Address, on integral page: S. M. Barrett Esqr / 50. Wimpole Street / London.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
1. This letter is postmarked 26 November 1838, a Monday.
___________________
