SD372. Mary Moulton-Barrett to Charles John Moulton-Barrett
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 324 (in part).
Hope End
March 4th 1821
Thank you my sweetest Stormy, for your Entertaining account of Bro & Punch. I wonder which of those gentlemen you liked the best and were most pleased to see! Punch I suppose of course. This is Henrietta’s birth day, & she opened the festivities by undressing sweet Baby, which will be the greatest treat she will have all day. We had Henry at breakfast who looked very important with his Napkin over his knee and Eat more than any body else looking so like Papa, & Bro, that he was greatly admired by all the ladies present, for we terribly missed those dear Merry faces & another little gentleman with a white head, good appetite & kind heart. Can you guess who that is? The letters are not to be delivered till dinner, & an accident having happened to poor Sam, he is sitting writing it over again looking the picture of care & trouble. It is just today that he has behaved perfectly well since dearest Papa went away & has been kind & obliging to every body & very industrious when Henry is not in the room, who tries to make every body as idle as himself not liking any occupation but Eating & laughing. I was at the school yesterday for a long time, & I am happy to tell you your child did his arithmetic better than either of the Boys & is able to read, to say Father now instead of Jack. I came home by Papas pretty new walk thro the plantation which will surprise you as much as it did me. How kind Monies has been to shew you so many pretty things, which I hope you will give us a long Acct. of when you come home, as I know you have Not “Eyes & No Eyes.” George desires his Love to you. He wishes you were here to play with him. Kisses to Every body My sweet Childs affecte. Mother.
[Continued in the hand of Arabella Moulton-Barrett] Arabell’s best love to dearest Stormy [continued in the hand of Samuel Moulton-Barrett (brother)] best love to sweet Storm who we love so dearly
Address, on integral page: Charles John Barrett Esqr. / London.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Berg Collection.
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