SD2135. Elizabeth Cook to William Surtees Cook
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 25, 344 (in part).
[Hastings]
[26 January 1858]
My dearest William,
At Bessie’s desire, I enclose you, a most satisfactory, and pleasing letter she has received from dear Edward, for yours, and Henriettas perusal, which I am sure will not fail, to give you much pleasure– We are so delighted to receive such a good account of Isabellas health, and to find that dear Edward, is so very fond of his dear children– By the time you receive this, you will be, beginning to feel settled, at your own comfortable home– I shall be very glad to hear dear Henrietta has met with a Cook to suit her—they are very difficult people to meet with. I have made every possible enquiry, among my friends in hopes of meeting with one, but I am sorry to say, unsuccessfully– Has dear Arabel returned to London? I am very glad, she is going to have one, of Mr Sam Barrett’s Daughters with her this winter as she, would have had such a dreadful loss of your darling Mary, when she returned home, and of course, you and dear Henrietta could not have parted with your only daughter. Our dear John has at last fixed to come here, on Monday the 8th of Feb. to stay till Saturday, when I shall go as far, as Whitehall with him, and dear Mary, will take my place here; it appears like a dream, when I think I have been here, 12 weeks last Saturday—dear Susan, and I, have been so happy together, that the time, seems to have glided away imperceptibly—but I shall be very glad to get dear Mary down here, as I much fear, she is anything, but well. where she is, tho’ she and Bessie, make the best of it, but I find she is unable to go anywhere, in London, to see her friends—please God, I live until next Oct we may be able to leave Whitehall altogether, and settle down here—which would be a great comfort, and happiness to us all– This place is still very full I am sure, there were full 500– Communicants last Sunday, and the Church we go to–
Miss Lewis has been very seriously ill, the last fortnight, from a fall, she had, on the street, when walking out. She has been entirely confined to her bed– The injury she sustained, was internal as no actual bruise, was perceptible, but the inflamation [sic] was very great, and the last time I heard of her, her pulse was 117—wh was most alarming—she had her own Dr attending her, also Dr Bailey—but when Mary heard last from Miss Fenwick, many of her symtoms [sic] were better, than they had been—and I yet hope with the blessing of God, she will recover– They were very gay at Buxhall Rectory at Xmas—they had twenty staying there to go to the |Stowmanhat| Ball—and your poor dear Aunt Pyke was carried downstairs, into the dining room, to see the Xmas Tree– [illegible word] Caroline and William Edward returned from the North– Tell your darling Mary, I intend writing to her very soon– Have you heard anything of your militia being called out?– What a lamentable thing, it was, poor John Surtees dying, so suddenly– Now such a death, warns us that we should live, as we should wish to die. Alfred Surtees was so kind, as to write, and inform me, of his poor fathers death– Mr Humer the Clergyman of <…>n Parish here, has just been <…> to call—he is such an excellent, kind hearted man, and comes very often to see us—he is a married man with a large family and is an excellent preacher– Thank dear Henrietta for her last affectionate letter– Susan unites with me, in kind love to you, & her, not forgetting all your darling Children, with a bushel of kisses, I am my beloved William,
ever yr affect Mother
E Cook–
Address: Capt Surtees Cook / Wilton / Taunton / Somersetshire.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library, Altham Archive.
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