SD134. Mary Surtees to Elizabeth Cook
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 311 (in part).
Hauxley Hall
March 9th 1810
My ever dear Bessy–
I will indeed fulfill your Wish of writing to you immediately and thank you sincerely for taking the earliest opportunity to impart happiness to your Parents. Your letter was brought to me by dear Sarah—before I was up—and it struck both your Father and Myself there was something interesting in it. Nothing can exceed the pleasure we have received from your kindness in sending us a Copy of dear Charles’s letter to you—it has eased us from much anxiety upon his account for we began to think the time very long in hearing from him dear fellow thank God he has had a Safe Passage to Portugal and he writes to you in most excellent Spirits, which is a great Comfort to me I am sure, and all his Relatives here. it is a pity we did not get his Letters—it is very fortunate my dear love you got yours, or we should all have been truly Miserable at his Silence. he appears to be much engaged– I fear from his Account he will very soon have to return to England for the French are so Successfull in all their undertakings—it will be a Thousand pities for him to loose so lucrative a Situation so very soon. I trust dear Bessy if he is Obliged to return some other appointment will be given him by the same Gentleman. he seems much pleased with the Mildness of the Climate and the Cheapness of the Fruit &c—his Account of the indolence of the Portuguese amused us much—your dear Father is sitting by me writing to him. it appears like dream that he is at such a distance from us. I am now better reconciled to his life—indeed it was very Cruel of me and Selfish to regret his separation—he was so Affectionately Attentive to me, that I Could not help suffering much Anguish at the time of parting– I have had a letter from dear Aubone upon the Occasion, which has done me much good—indeed it does him infinite credit and it so expressive of his love and regard for me—that I shall treasure it up in your desk—this is what I call a thorough Rainy day—for it has never Ceased—since I got up. we have nearly got over a dreary Winter and thank God we have all enjoyed pretty good health. in two or three Months this place will look Cheerful again—your dear good Husband will I hope Contribute to my happiness this Summer and bring his Angel of a Child to see your dear Father and I—the very Idea of such a gratification strengthens my Nerves. your Account of him is delightful she certainly must be uncommonly good tempered for I scarcely ever knew an Instance at her early Age—to allow of going to Strangers and to behave so well—Miss Picke desires her best love to you and Major Cook and she thinks dear little Mary will not require a Governness—for she is—what we call out in the gay World and quite finished as you take her every where with you. how I should delight in seeing her dear Father and you Caressing her—and like to see her dressed for paying morning Visits upon my word she is a young Visitor– Mrs Franklings little Girl will not go to a Creature she was here yesterday Morning and she nearly Cryed the whole time. She is a very Nice Child and for her Months very Sensible if I ask her to come to me, she shakes her head—she perfectly understands every thing that is said to her– I am delighted to have such good accounts of our beloved Mary Pyke and her dear Babe. I mean to write very soon to her expressing my wish that she would not continue Nursing the dear Child at Night it must be very Weakening to her and I am sure there is not the least Occasion for it for the dear little Girl will get sufficient in the day time. I fear I shall not succeed in my Wish, for I know she is such a tender Mother—she would injure her own health for her Children’s good– I never was allowed to Nurse any [of] you in the Night. I may have been a barbarous Moth<er> but so it was indeed dear Bessy and I don’t think any of you are the worse for my Cruelties—poor Mrs Clutterback still Continues in a very Weak State I fear there is little Chance of her recovery—she cannot Turn herself in Bed she will be such a loss to her family and all her Friends. I hope you think that dear Anne Surtees is beginning to look better this is a trying Season of the year for her delicate Constitution, and I fear she does not take great Care of herself. she is an Amiable Creature and I sincerely wish her better health I am sure your Cousin Fanny Clarke has a flirtation with a Capt Butler in the Dragoons but don’t Mentioning [sic] it either to me in your letter or to any of their family in the South for it is a Secret between your Aunt and me at present only I thought My letter was so excessively stupid it would be a little News for you he is a fine young Man Eldest Son of an Irish Baronet, he has not made his offer yet but the great event is daily expected. They are very gay—your Aunt has had several Severe Colds with going so much out in the Night Air—I think Mrs |Monby| must be a Charming Woman and a very pleasant Neighbour to you to be upon such Friendly terms as you are. The Baker is come I must therefore conclude my delightful employment and give my best love to dear Cooke and Accept the Same yourself and kiss dear pet a Thousand times
your affect Mother
M Surtees
Address, on integral page: Mrs Cooke / Pilgrims / near Brentwood / Essex.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library, Altham Archive.
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