SD1001. Henrietta Moulton-Barrett to Samuel Moulton-Barrett (brother)
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 350–351 (in part).
Torquay–
Saturday– [4 May 1839] [1]
People do meet occasionally with much more than they deserve, & this must be your case today dearest Sam, for I am seized with a sudden & unaccountable inclination to write to you, it is extraordinary that it should be so considering all circumstances, but so it is, & now for the benefit of not only you, but all around you I must tell you about our beloved Ba, that she was pretty well all day yesterday & downstairs from two o’clock to six. She slept tolerably not as well as we could wish for her, & she is tolerable this morng– You must content yourselves with such for today– I trust on Monday I may have brighter tidings to tell you but these must not make you look grave for Dr Barry seems to think she is going on comfortably, & yesterday he allowed the window to remain open when she was in the drawing roon, the first breath of external air she has breathed for many months—this is another step towards the boat—but where is the bonnet & the shawl? She really talks very seriously of going out & Dr Barry told us yesterday that he was beginning to think of the boat instead of the chair, so do not be surprised to hear of a cruise some day soon– Now I have to tell you of a cruise not of hers, but of ours– I told you that I had been half promised an expedition to Dartmouth, & this kind promise has been performed today—two such expeditions as the one I told Arabel about, & this would not have come so close together had it not been for this sunny weather which is never to be trusted to last long in this English climate of ours, therefore it was thought more prudent to take advantage of it, & Mr & Mrs Walrond our neighbors, & Miss Walrond Seppy’s Friend, asked us, Bummy Bro & me, with the Gardens to go with them there, Bro & I rode, (by the bye I took the liberty of using a part of your wardrobe which you left behind you here) Bummy went in Mrs Walrond’s carriage (she is much better) we went to Dartmouth crossed the Dart in a boat to see the church which is well worth seeing both for its antiquity & beauty—its age 1600 & something[.] When we had seen as much of Dartmouth as we had time for, we got into our boat again but not before we had lavished much admiration upon it, it is most picturesque– (I could not help thinking of our last party there when Bro & I were at Torquay before & when Mr & Miss Markham were with us, both of whom are now in another world)– Well we passed down the Dart & Totness [sic]– Nothing could be more beautiful than the wooded banks on each side of us, & there is such a variety in the shades of the Foliage now! I wish I could bring the scene before your imagination but my pen cannot, so it must pass on to tell you something of the sandwiches, tarts & cakes with ginger beer wine &c &c which I must just observe to you was only luncheon, for when we arrived at Totness, at the most fashionable hotel there we found prepared for us a very sumptuous dinner, which Mr Walrond has very magnificently ordered for us all the day before—the champagne was ve<ry> sparkling, but of course the beauties of nature which we <h>ad before feasted upon quite destroyed our appetites, & we cantered home in the rain after dinner as quickly as we could– Bummy & all very much pleased with our expedition, & found our dearest Ba equally pleased to see us, looking very comfortable & amusing herself by reading the magazines– Bummy & Bro are gone to bed, & really I must now, for I am so tired & sleepy– I will promise to awaken as soon as I can in the morng to finish this– Good night to you all–
Sunday Morng– Here I am again dearest Sam after a sound sleep & dreams of woods forests, & mutton pies—nothing worse for all our fatigues yesterday– How fortunate it was that we went yesterday, for the rain this morng looks as if it were set in, in earnest—it will do a great deal of good to the Country, so we should not regret our bonnets getting a wetting today– I am quite ashamed to tell you that we took no sketches yesterday in spite of all your good resolutions– I believe Bummy took a hurried one but really we had no time, for we were always on the move– Mr St John, a son of Lady Bolingbroke’s has been staying here, but is now gone—he is the most amusing person to meet in society, & he really made us laugh so much about poor Dominic[k] that some of us were almost in fits—he told us that he was the person who took him & Sir Francis Knowles to the election at Shaftesbury, & not only made his (Dominic[k]’s) speech for him but paid all his debts, it cost him a thousand pounds– He told Mr St John that he thought there was no probablity of Mr Knowles being returned but that he had some chance having all the money on his side—however at the last no money was forthcoming—or words either, altho’ he had told them beforehand that he would make such a speech that England had not heard before—he [“]would plant the banner of liberty on the top of Shaftesbury Hill”– However when he was upon the hustings, his promised eloquence failed him, also, & Mr St John was obliged to stand behind him to prompt him– Dominic[k] turning round to him every now & then to enquire what was the last word, & what he was to say next—he promised to marry 30 old women at Shaftesbury—& Mr St John made him dance with them all in the market place– I cannot give the account of it as he did—but you would have been amused had you heard it– The dear travellers are now I hope safe at Cheltenham– Now soon you will see them!– I shall be quite curious to hear something of Henrietta Barrett & Mr Dashwood– We shall hear from dearest Arabel or one of you today– Ba was so unreasonable as to expect a letter from her on Friday, in spite of dearest Papa’s the day before—the pleasure of hearing from you is the greatest she has—therefore it should not be given grudgingly to her—but Arabel deserves great credit for her punctuality in writing—to know how her letters please Ba, is her best reward—knowing the time & the nature of your Sunday engagements, perhaps we think of you more on this day than on any other– May both yours & ours be blessed to us today dearest Sam– Ba is still sleeping, & I have nothing more to say to you until she awakes– I was up the last in the house last night & the first this morng—by the bye I heard from Julia Gutteres yesterday she tells me she has been so ill that they have ordered change of air for her & she is going to Berkshire with Mr & Mrs John Bacon, who have been staying with them– I forgot in my last letter to ask Papa to get for Ba a black elastic band for her waist—she has been long trying here to procure it, but in vain– I hope you understand what I mean—remember it is to wear over her gown– She has just awoke, & glad can I tell you that she slept better last night, & is comfortable this morng– She sends her best, very best love with mine to dearest Papa Arabel yourself & every body
Your ever attached
Henrietta
Our best lov<es> to dear Treppy–
Address, on integral page: S. M. Barrett Esqr / 50. Wimpole Street / London.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
1. This letter is postmarked 5 May 1839, a Sunday.
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