SD986. Henrietta Moulton-Barrett to Samuel Moulton-Barrett (brother)
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 346–347 (in part).
Torquay–
Monday– [Postmark: 18 February 1839]
You shall break the seal today my own dearest Sam & read that Ba is a little better– I must not say a great deal, since she suffers yet considerably from lowness & weakness, & this I fear she will do for some days—she slept better last night, & does not complain of pain this morng, she has a feeling of restlessness, which is very wearying to her, but she is better– She is of course still confined to her bed—& we keep her perfectly quiet—indeed she has not even read during this day or two, except dearest Arabel’s letter last night, however the reading I trust she will soon be able to do with pleasure to herself—these two last nights we have persuaded her to take a melted jelly for her supper, but her appetite remains very bad, & as long as it is so, how can we expect the weakness to diminish– All she has gone through lately from the billious attack alone, would have effected the strength of the strongest of us—& how much more must it effect her!– However thank God the worst really seems to have passed now—& I trust I may have the unexpressible blessing of seeing, & of being able to tell you of her encreasing [sic] health & strength– God is the hearer of prayer, & will He not hear our prayers in her behalf?– I am sure He will, if it be good for us– She is now trying to take her Beef tea but I am sorry to say, she often makes many vain efforts– She was asking me yesterday when I thought dearest Papa would come– I told her that as he had been gone from here a month, I thought we had every reason to hope he would soon be here– I hope it may be so, for I think it would do her a great deal of good to see him with a few more of you– Such remedies are very pleasant ones, & more effectual I believe in many instances than even medicine– She took white wine negus twice yesterday, a table spoonful of wine at a time, she is to repeat the dose today again– I really think it does her good. She still speaks in a whisper but believe me upon the whole, she is better, so do not give yourselves more uneasiness than there is occasion for– I have just given to her Zenana Miss Landon’s last book, which she ordered Elliott to get for her– So you see, she has already begun to read– Uncle Hedley gave her the other day the Bijou Almanack for this year, edited by Miss Landon—the same as Papa gave her last—but when he sent for it from London he expected it was a large & expensive book, & told me what he had done as a great secret—he was terribly disappointed when he saw the diminutive size of it, as I thought he would be– Ba has put it with Papa’s, & values them both– Fanny’s letter is as Papa suspected, to get Bro to look for a house for her, supposing him to be in London– She says to gratify louisa, who is exceedingly anxious to be in Town this coming season, “we are endeavouring to make up our minds, & our purse, to go through the ordeal–“ With this in view, she is anxious to ascertain what they could get a good, moderately sized , very clean & nicely furnashed [sic] house for, in a fashionable & airy situation, about the neighbourhood of Hyde Park, such as Grosvenor Place—for three months, from the second week in April– The party is to consist of herself Sir Thomas, Louisa & perhaps Paget– She says as they are so accustomed to a large House or rather rooms, they could not exist in small ones, or in a close situation—then Bro is to consult Papa about the ecomony of the plan, his taking a house in preference to going to an Hotel—& to write to her immediatly on the subject– Now can you not enquire about it, & let her know? She says Mr Gosset has every anxiety about it, but his time is so occupied in the house—that he has no leisure for it– She seems determined to come at present, but Fanny’s determinations are very often broken– Arabella I have no doubt will spur her on– I think it very likely that Jane & Uncle Hedley will go to London in the Spring—altho’ it is by no means a fixed plan– Jane is quite nicely again– I was so glad to hear about Mrs Robert Martin’s Baby, I have just been writing to her, as you say she wanted to hear from me– I dare say you had a very pleasant Eveng at the Robt Biddulphs– I am delighted to hear that you have good taste enough to like my Friends, & I have no doubt that I shall hear of the admiration being reciprocal—& I can assure you the more you know of their characters, & dispositions, the more you must be disposed to like them– Bummy had a letter from Miss Price this morng—she is at Aberystworth—complains of the cold, & is very sorry she left Mansel– She wrote to make further enquiries about Ba– She is a kind person, & never forgets us– Sir Robt is in Town, staying at some hotel in Jermyn St as Lady Price is not with him– How do poor Treppy & the undertaker get on together now? I wish for her sake he had selected another profession– Is she going to give you a house warming this week?– How is her deafness? Give her our best love– I cannot help laughing when I hear of Mary’s & your fashionable promenades together– I should think Mary has been all over London by this time– I hope she continues to write her Journal– Some day I suppose she means to publish– Does Georgie count the days until the Ides of March? but I know he does– What am I to do about those books? does Arabel think I ought to write purposely to Mary Minto about them? & then they may have begun their journey homewards before my letter could reach them– How are her canary & parrot? I hope neither of them are dead– I have been reading Schloss Hamfeld by Basil Hall—a very interesting book– Henry would like it– I was very glad to hear that Stormie & Sette were going to attend an oratorio– A taste for music should always be cultivated– I hope the former continues to practice his Flute– Ba says she is very glad that Papa was on a Grand Jury– Why, I cannot quite make out– I hope at any rate that he was soon released from it– Arabel’s letter was as welcome yesterday as it always is– I hope you are soon going to write to me dearest Sam–but do not write instead of Ba’s letter–let it be an additional pleasure– Now I remember it, will you tell Papa that all Ba’s Ode de Cologne is gone—& if he could bring a bottle or two with him when he comes, I think it would be very acceptable– What a dreadfully stupid letter I am writing– I am in such a stupid humour, that out of compassion to you, I will put down my pen for the present–
Tuesday Morng.
Dearest Sam, Ba has told me that last night was worth the two nights before put together, she slept so comfortably—there is a bonne bouche for you, & this will make you swallow all the indegestible part of this sheet– I am thankful for it, & I daresay it will be the means of making her feel better today– Oh! I trust she will go on improving now every day– I have not time for more—let us hear from you frequently
& Believe ever dearest Sam
Your most affectionate
Henrietta
Address, on integral page: S. M. Barrett Esqr / 50 Wimpole Street / London.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
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