Supporting Documents

SD1059.  Arabella Moulton-Barrett & Arabella Graham-Clarke (aunt) to Septimus Moulton-Barrett

Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 360 (in part).

[17-18 October 1839] [1]

My dearest Setty:

Arabella will make me use the last drop of Ink in her bottle to write a line in her letter to you; which I have scarcely either the boldness (or I would say in its right meaning), the desire to do so, as my vanity will not allow me to believe, that a page from me, can be so satisfactory or acceptable as a few words from her. Therefore I will only indulge myself by telling you my dearest Setty, that we hope you will repeat your visit here as soon as you can, and will bring Ocky under your arm; as the Sea anxiously awaits yr arrival. Arabel is all impatience to have her pen again so, I must in haste bid you adieu, ever my dearest Set, with love to your dear Circle.

yrs affcy AGC.

[Continued by Arabella Moulton-Barrett]

Just as I was sitting down to begin the letter which is so justly due to you dearest Sette, in reply to your last letter—when Bummy turned me out of my seat to “begin the letter”. I tried to persuade her to write the whole of it, but she will not be persuaded, so you must content yourself with what I may say. I need not tell you how glad we were to see your letter, for the non-arrival of George on Saturday, made us feel a little uncomfortable about him. I only wish we could have foreseen the departure of the “Vivid” from Exeter before his arrival there, that he might have spent Friday night with us. But I know you will not like to have read so far of the letter without hearing something of Ba—& as what I have to tell you is good news, I am rather surprised at myself not to have told you of it before. Dr Scully pronounced her to be better to day. He said the respiration was much more tranquil—the pulse calmer—her countenance looked better, & to use his own words “the storm is almost passed”.– Now is not this very delightful news, Sette, & is it not a mercy for which we should be very thankful? Dr Scully talks of removing her to the drawing room next week, if possible; & for that purpose, has desired her to remain longer on the sofa today than usual, which has fatigued her a little, but that is of no consequence! She looks & is much more cheerful than when Georgie left, so that every thing is beginning to look bright again. We miss Georgie as much as he could wished to be missed—but I suppose we are almost forgotten by him in the midst of his law books—at any rate, as long as he is in Mr Wyghtman’s chambers. Tell him his friend, Lady Bolingbroke is at Merry Oak, & is expected to return here directly. Your account of Mrs Newdick made us laugh, & as for Bro, I thought he would have gone into hysterics. Her grief seems to have produced upon her a contrary effect to that wh grief generally does—for instead of subduing her in any degree, it appears to have made her imagination more vivid than ever. How pleased you must have been to have seen George & Lizzie. They are all of them much to be pitied. Tell George, (our George, I mean) that Bro has succeeded admirably with the sketch of Mrs Holder’s that he saw—& he has made a beautiful picture of it. Of course he could not do less than make a present of it to Mrs Holder, & she was delighted! Yesterday being such an unusually fine day, Bummy & I with the assis[i]stance of a donkey, went to the Stoney valley & returned home by Upton. You must know all these places, & with yr good taste, you must have admired them as much as they deserve to be admired. We took our sketch books, with us, but as Bummy was in a rather restless mood, walking suited her better than standing still to sketch—& therefore we did not do much in that way. Bro determined last night to go there to day, & take a sketch from the top of some rock—but it is pouring with rain this morning, and promises to be a wet day. I am writing now on Friday morning, having been prevented last night from finishing my letter, & I have not much time, so you must forgive, dearest Sette, a very stupid letter. Bummy invited Miss Mackenzie to drink tea with us yesterday evening. I don’t know whether she were a friend of yours, when you were here. She made many particular enquiries after George. I do hope George intends to write to us—if it were only to tell us how you were all looking: He positively must!! You did not tell us, whether you were to be one of Treppy’s party. How gay she appears to have been lately. Give my best love to her. Ba is waiting for the letter, to write her corners, so I must not write any more. My most affectionate love to dearest Papa & to every body. Dearest Sette’s

ever affectionate Arabel

There is nothing in this letter to make it worth yr reading, but the good account of our dearest Ba—that will supply all deficiencies!

Address, in EBB’s hand, on integral page: Mr Septimus Barrett / 50. Wimpole Street / London.

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Gordon E. Moulton-Barrett.

1. Date provided by postmark and Arabella Moulton-Barrett.

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