SD1052. Edward Moulton-Barrett (brother) to Charles John Moulton-Barrett
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 358–359 (in part).
[Torquay]
Octbr 1st [sic, for 2] 1839– [1]
My dearest Stormie–
Although you have not afforded us the gratification of hearing directly from yourself, yet we were very glad to hear the news of your safe arrival in Jamaica through a letter received from the Governor two days past– I write to you from our new house into which we moved yesterday; it is taken for eight months, & is I think likely to suit us better than the one we last occupied with the additional recommendation of the reduction of a guinea per week in the rent– Its great advantage is that dearest Ba’s room is I think larger & more sheltered from the violent westerly winds, besides being separated from the drawing room only by a door, so that she can be easily transferred to it for a change of air during the winter without being exposed to the draughts of staircases & passages. Poor dear Ba is this morning in a state of deep affliction at the death of Dr Barry which occurred about 2 hours since—he had been suffering for some time from a violent fever proceeding from cold, but until within the last three days was supposed to be in an almost convalescent state, a relapse however took place, inflammation in the bowels supervened & he died this morning to the great sorrow of all who knew him either in his professional or private capacity. Every one is lamenting this event both rich & poor particularly the latter to whom Dr Barry was a kind & generous friend, one old woman has walked a distance of five miles every day during his illness to enquire after him & at this moment the flags of all the vessels in the harbour are hoisted at half mast– Dearest Ba to whom Dr Barry’s attention has been most unremitting, is sadly afflicted & I fear will suffer much both in mind & body at first– She is I think much as she was when you left England not worse, but I cannot say that I think she has gained much in strength—this rainy ungenial summer has thrown insuperable impediments in the way of her being as much in the open air as it was desirable she should have been, & it is now too late to look forward to the possibility of much more boating this year. Arabel is now with us & adds much to dearest Ba’s happiness, Henrietta is not to go away, & George who intended to have left us some three weeks past has received an injunction to remain where he is for the present—so that with Uncle Richd, who still vegetates amongst us we form a goodly company. And now my dear Storm for a word about yourself,—you must know that I was particularly nominated to the office of writting [sic] to you this packet in order that I might give you some wholesome advice & more particularly in the article of rum drinking, for some of the ladies have formed a notion that you have a sneaking kindness for rum, I suppose from the circumstance of a rum bottle half empty having been occasionally discovered upon your premises– I however am not very uneasy upon this point & would therefore confine my advice to two points—which I really do think to be essential to health in your climate & which you are not unlikely to be negligent in– The first is that you should wear flannel next your skin, or if you think this too desperate a measure, that your shirt should be of cotton & not of linen– My second precaution is that you expose yourself as little as possible to the night air, which is I am sure ten times more to be avoided than the hottest degree of sunshine– We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your voyage so thoroughly, & we are now waiting with intense anxiety to hear whether your satisfaction will extend itself to the country & your employment– What can you mean by that picturesque critique of yours upon the islands which you passed, “only hills & woods”!!! why what more than these, together with water which of course there is, do you desire to constitute beautiful scenery? “Only hills & woods”!! & such hills & such woods too—we shall hear some day of your depreciating the charms of some lady upon the plea that she is only beautiful & good—not that I think many of the Jamaica ladies likely to come under such a condemnation. Heaven knows their innocence in these matters– I hope—indeed I am sure that you will like Jump—he is one of the very few men for whom I entertained any thing like a regard whilst I was in Jamaica—he is exceedingly well informed as concerns his head; & his heart does his intellect no discredit– Pray write soon & if your letters are half as agreable as your last seems to have been to the governor you can’t write too often– I have got into a curious scrape here with an old Admiral Sir Charles Ekins, who had an inclination to call me out for letting fly a pun at him. He was telling a story the other night—at a party about some person having said that Ld De Roos was attending to last trump, some people held up their hands, & some their eyes & I not liking to miss the occasion for a bad pun holloed out quite loud to him for he is terribly deaf—“Sir Charles, the Ladies say that that story of yours about a trump is not an honour to you,[”] he laughed & every lady laughed & I thought nothing more about it—when to my surprise there came an uncivil note from a friend of his requesting an interview & explanation, as the old Admiral considered his honour called in question. As I could fairly & freely assure him that I intended no reflection of any kind upon him he was satisfied & there the matter ended, which happy event I am not sorry for I had not the slightest inclination to bag the old Admiral neither had I a stong desire I must confess that a pun should be the death of me– Dont mention this when you write. I would have crossed & recrossed this letter so as to make it delightfully illegible but I have rather over stayed my time so must here leave you– Give our best love to Sam when you see him which you of course will do frequently. God bless you both & believe me to remain your
Affectionate Bro.
Address, on integral page: C. J. Barrett Esqre / Cambridge Estates / near Falmouth / Jamaica.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
1. Dated by reference to Dr. Barry’s death, which occurred on 2 October 1839.
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