SD1176. Mary Russell Mitford to Lucy Olivia Anderdon
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 5, 384 (in part).
[Three Mile Cross]
May 4th, 1842.
I have had a great shock lately, in the death of poor Lady Sidmouth. I received from her two letters at once, on the Tuesday, accompanying a small portion of honey from Hymettus, which I sent, in right of Museship, to Miss Barrett; and on Friday I read her death in the newspaper. This honey from Hymettus is a fashionable gift of honour. I have had three little jars from different quarters. It resembles in taste the scent of a myrtle leaf, when bruised. Do you remember Mr. Ware’s charming books, “Zenobia,” and “The Last Days of Aurelian?” Finding that I liked them, he has had the goodness to send me the first, with a letter which you would like, it is so manly and candid, and full of unaffected pleasure in the appreciation of those whom he honours with his esteem. He appears to be one of the professors of their Cambridge University. Professor Norton, of that University, poor Mrs. Hemans’s friend and correspondent, is likewise mine. He sent me the works of Lucretia—no, Margaret—Davidson, and now promises me Stephens’s “Central America,” which I have a strong desire to see on account of the subject. Very anxiously, the day before, I had had a message from my friend Mr. Milton (Mrs. Trollope’s brother), to say that he was now pretty nearly installed in poor Southey’s post in the “Quarterly,” and had written for that journal the excellent critique of the work in question, which you probably remember. Mr. Norton says that Mr. Dickens’s reception in America was attended with certain absurdities sufficiently amusing; and Mr. Kenyon, on his part, tells me that Mr. D. is a matchless letter-writer, both for length and power, and that he and Mr. Milnes were setting forth, as yesterday, to listen to one of his epistles. In the meanwhile, let me thank you again and again for the delight that I have received from Hayley’s “Autobiography.” I have read it twice with redoubled pleasure, and shall probably read it a third time before restoring it to you here. When will that happiness arrrive? Have I, all this time, fulfilled Miss Barrett’s commission of thanking you for your charming note? She prayed me to do so. I had hoped she would have done it herself.
Text: Chorley, I, 205–206.
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