SD2508. Anne Benson Procter to Richard Monckton Milnes

Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 29, 310 (in part).

Brighton

Aug. 26th, 1861.

My dear Mr. Milnes,—

I enclose a letter from our dear friend Browning. [1] You will rejoice with us that he is coming back near his old friends. I have a strong belief that my sending this letter is merely an excuse to write to you to gain a reply. I want to know how you and yours are, and what happy people are at Fryston. I see the bright breakfast-room, those beautiful books, green and white, arranged so like a bed of flowers, and fancy myself once more taking away some book which I never read, because I liked the living book (in trousers) so much better. This place, which on Saturday was so cheerful, is now sadly altered; nearly all the shops have the shutters up. Twenty-two people were killed Saturday morning, and ten or twelve are in the hospital. Until we hang a few shareholders nothing will be done. These unfortunate people, these lives which were so valuable, all bread-winners. A good Tory as I am I always consider a poor man’s life so much more precious than a rich man’s, because so many are dependent upon him.

We have had a letter from America written by Longellow’s bedside. He will not lose the use of his hands, though he will be some time before he regains their use. His wife was burned by putting her foot on a lighted match.

Mr. Procter is wonderfully well. He is out by the seaside nearly all day. We have a good large house, excellently furnished, and lent us by Sir F. Goldschmidt. My love to Mrs. Milnes.

Your affectionate old friend.

Anne B. Procter.

Publication: T. Wemyss Reid, Life, Letters, and Friendships of Richard Monckton Milnes (London, 1890), II, 70–71.

Manuscript: Trinity College, Cambridge.

1. The enclosure is no longer with this letter.

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