SD2707. William Wetmore Story to George Goodin Moulton-Barrett

As Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 31, 305 (in part).

London

June 29 1864.

My dear Mr Barrett

I received your note yesterday enclosing a check for £52.10—which is all quite right—& from which I suppose that you have decided to have the bust cut in marble at once without waiting to see it– I really hope that you will think the bust like and that it will seem not to be more of a failure than was necessary under the circumstances. But I hope we quite understand each other, that you are not to have it executed in marble merely because I have modelled it & done my best[–] I have seen Rob’t Browning often since my arrival here, & have found him as he always is charming, full of kindness for us—& full of life & spirit– His vol of Poems is having a great & a deserved success, in which I greatly rejoice– I have not opened my lips to him on the subject of the bust—for he has not alluded to it in any way—& I think prefers to say nothing about it– He evidently does not believe in it at all & does not like to say so to me– Do not therefore count on the pleasure which it may give him—for I fear that it will never give him any– And pray be sure that you want it before you commission it in marble—of course I shall be delighted to do it, I only say this not to mislead you into having a thing done which after all may not satisfy you–…

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Berg Collection.

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