SD2515. Sarianna Browning to Joseph Milsand
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 29, 312–313.
St Enogat.
Sept. 16– [1861] [1]
My dear Mr Milsand,
I wrote to you last, recollect, so you owe me two letters. I write now to tell you to address them to me in Paris, because we leave this place on Saturday next. The weather which up to this time had been magnificent, is breaking up, and though the sun tempts us out, we usually come home drenched,—besides Robt wants to be in London the last week in the month, and will only stay a couple of days in Paris. He is much better, looks less ghastly, and talks on general topics like his former self. He has read and re-read your article on Ruskin with the deepest attention, and is in raptures with it,—declares it to be one of the best (or the best) you ever wrote, and that no one else is capable of writing it: in all your views of art he entirely agrees, and in fact, poured forth such a torrent of praises that I give up attempting to repeat them.
We went to Dinan again last Friday, by the steamer from St Malo, for the sake of the scenery of the river Rance, said to be the most beautiful in Brittany– It was very lovely,—but we saw it to great disadvantage, as the day turned out very wet, and ended by pouring in torrents,—added to which, the steamer stuck fast for half-an-hour for want of water, to the intense delight of Pen who remarked it was the first time he had ever been ship-wrecked; and when some gloomy passenger foreboded that we should stick there in the rain till midnight, I thought he would have gone crazy with joy. To us soberer people, however, the result was, that we have abandoned our projected visit to St Michel, which we had fixed for this week, but which this squally weather renders unadvisable, especially for my father. Poor Robert was saying to me just now that he regretted it on my account, as he feels I have had a dull holiday with him in his sorrow; but on the contrary, I have been more at ease than I could possibly have been had he not come to us. I am afraid he will miss me when he is gone: he has plenty of kind friends, but they cannot exactly take my place. He continues to receive from all parts of the world, articles in newspapers in her praise, sonnets[,] stanzas
I had written thus far when your letter interrupted me. Never mind how you write, it is always welcome. I am surprised at the conduct of the review people; it is mean as well as unjust. You did not send me, by the bye, your corrected copy, as you promised.
Robert will come over to us at Christmas, or about that time, with Pen of course. I did not mean that the vegetation of Brittany was poor, it is very green and pretty, but not so varied or so richly coloured as Normandy—still the sea coast is magnificent—in small bays with rocks, and sands fit for fairies to dance on. The villages, I confess, look to me wretchedly poor. Robert is much pleased with the peasants, he often talks with them, and says they are most kind and hospitable. I have been trying to make (my first attempt) two or three little sketches. I will show them to you in strict confidence. Miss Blackwell is off to Florence, Turin, & perhaps Rome, for six weeks. Pen is plaguing me to leave off—but I’ll write such a long letter when I get to Paris, that you won’t be able to read it. Robt’s best love. Pen says he remembers you perfectly. With affectionate remembrance—always
Your most faithful,
S.B.
Address: Monsieur / Milsand. / Dijon. / Côte d’Or.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library, Joseph Milsand Archive.
1. Year provided by postmark.
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