SD1129. Edward Moulton-Barrett (father) to George Goodin Moulton-Barrett
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 366 (in part).
Torquay
July 13. 1840
My dear George
Ba is as well as one could expect, for indeed it is a most distressing communication I have to make, & altho there may be the most distant possibility that our fears are unnecessary, still the facts & circumstances are so much against our entertaining such a hope, that it is right in my mind that you, my dear Boys, should be prepared for the worse.
Our dear Bro & two of his friends Mr Vanneck & Captn Clarke with a Sailor went on Saturday last in Mr Vanneck’s Boat on an excursion; they left at a little of the 12 o’clock it seems, & up to this time 11 o’clock Monday Night, they have not been heard of, further than that on Saturday afternoon about 1/2 after 3 o’clock, a Gentleman in his Catch, about 4 miles to the East of Teingmouth [sic], saw a Boat exactly corresponding to the one they went in, which it appear is rigged out of the customary way, carrying a great deal of Sail—about a mile from him, when he observed it go down; He set sail immediately to the spot, which he says he reached in 4 or 5 minutes, but nothing whatever could he see beloging [sic] to her or the Party in her, neither boat |Stock or Sails|—altho he remained about the place for nearly four hours—& what is extraordinary it does not appear that she upset, for he saw the point of her mast above the water last so that I cannot understand, how some one did not keep upon the surface, until the Catch came up, the more particularly, as all could swim excepting the sailor. But it would appear, that it has pleased God, & vain is all that is a man, when the Lord ordereth it otherwise; supposing these to have been our beloved Bro & his companions. On Saturday night on their non-arrival we supposed that from want of wind they had not been able to get back; on Sunday afternoon, Mrs Vanneck & two others went over to Teingmouth [sic] & there they heard that a Boat containing two Ladies & I think two Men or Boys, I forget which, had been lost off Dawlish now it is supposed that two of dear Bro’s party may have taken their Coats off, & hence from their shirt sleaves supposing they were taken for women. Up to the arrival of the Mail we caught as a straw at the possibility of their having gone to the Land Ship near Lyme or to Weymouth, where Mr Vanneck the day before talked of going, but if it had been so, we should surely have heard this evening of their being there; & besides dear Bro whenever he went out for Ba’s sake, always let her know previously, & if any plan had been formed after they sailed he would have taken assuredly the earliest opportunity of acquainting her where he was. Now my dear Boys you know as much of this most calamitous event as I do—only that tomorrow some men are going from hence to drag as near the spot as possible to ascertain the worse, as indeed what can we expect than the worse. Unfortunately the Gentleman for want of consideration at the time, did not take the land bearings, so that they will have great difficulty in coming upon the place where they saw the boat go down. And now, I have done my task, most distressing |in| communicating a bereavement upon bereavement, but this is so dreadful & awful a Character, that it needs all our faith & christian submission to be resigned to it, & which I call upon you to exercise. God has thought fit to afflict us, it would seem the one blow had not produced its effect, & He has in judgement repeated it. Oh may we be persuaded to look to Him, to bear all growing anxieties, & let Him & all that He has enjoined, engage our best affection & constant pursuit.
We are dying & all are dying around us daily, eternity is hastening, be it our study to prepare for it, so that we may always be ready. Support it my dear Boys, as knowing who has ordered it; it may & is hard to bear but He, Who has permitted it, has judged it right; our beloved Bro has been taken from the trouble to come doubtless, & his loss, if properly applied, may be made great gain to us.
Henrietta, I think, scarcely can believe it, but weeps, Arabel does, & weeps, but her faith bears her up well—our beloved Ba is scarcely conscious, her mind wanders, but if I can once get her to fix it on her Lord, all will be well; her state of body is all against her, but we must trust & pray & call upon God for the needful support. For myself I am supported, blessed be the Lord, and as billow upon billow pass over me, I desire to praise Him in the midst of it all.
Poor Mrs Vanneck has lost her only Son & is almost mad; I hear her Daughters bear it well.
And now my dear Boys, I have done, except first commending you to our God, & beseeching Him to comfort you, & support you, & bless you, & make you His Children, & then come what may, it must be all well with you.
Yr affectionately, but afflicted
E M Barrett
I write in great haste & as you may suppose in a nervous & anxious state; & this poisoning makes my skin very irritable. It is remarkable but for this, I should have been in Town last week. Pray for us all, especialy [sic] our beloved Ba, she wants it. But her Lord loves her, altho she has indeed been tried; as if by fire. You shall hear again to-morrow.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Berg Collection.
___________________
