SD2924. Sarianna Browning to Joseph Milsand
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 32, 371–372 (in part).
Le Croisic, Loire inférieure.
Aug 4th [1867] [1]
My dear Friend,
At last we are settled in our old abode, and find every stone and weed just as we left them last year, this being a country which changes as slowly as its own granite rocks, though even they follow imperceptibly the universal law of mutation.
But to begin at the beginning. We left London on the night of Thursday the 25th July—had a rough passage from Dover to Calais– Robert says he never suffered so much in his life, and I, though I bore it better, yet began to be ill as soon as I attempted to leave the cabin at the end of the voyage: but everything passes—even the misery of sea-sickness. We travelled in the same carriage with Dr Pantaleone [sic], for Pantaleoni] & his young and charming wife, and in the same train with your friend Mr [William] Forster & his wife (whom you met at Mr Arnold’s)– On reaching Paris, I went straight to Mme Louis, & Robt & Pen to the Hôtel du Nord. Dear Mme Louis was quite well, and delighted to see us. We spent five days in Paris. Robt & Pen every day at the Exhibition, & I very often there. I saw none of my friends (except Miss Haworth who came up to see us) not feeling, for various reasons, disposed for visiting, and my best and dearest friend not being in Paris but at St Aubin. On the Sunday I went to the little chapel in the rue Madame, and heard a beautiful sermon from M. Fisch—simple and good—the one most to my own taste of all the French sermons I have ever listened to. In the afternoon I went to Montmartre.
On Wednesday we took the express train and went on, by the Le Mans line, to St Nazaire where we arrived at a quarter past ten at night. There we were joined by Mrs Bracken & Willy who had travelled by St Malo & Rennes. They had had an excellent sea-passage, and they are both of them good sailors. We left the following morning in the same diligence for Croisic, each of us going to our former habitation. Unluckily we had a pouring rain the whole day,—since then the weather has been fine.
I hope you received two Pall Malls, one from Paris & one here—we brought them in our pockets: but the editor told Robt it was no use forwarding them, as not one in six was allowed to pass– He had been officially told that unless the paper changed its tone of foreign politics it should not circulate in France. I also sent an Athm which was waiting for us at this Post Office, but we did not get the Illd News—(tell Claire.) By the way, when Robt called to bid Lady William Russell good bye, he found her deeply affected by a letter she had just received from the poor Emperor Maximilian, whom she had known from a boy. It had been written last Oct. but he having addressed it to Lady Russell instead of Lady William Russell—a mistake foreigners often make, it was supposed to be intended for her sister-in-law the Countess Russell, and was sent after her all over Italy,—never reaching Lady William till after the death of the poor writer. This is a hasty scrawl– I do not yet feel quite settled—but I am anxious to let you know of our arrival. Best of loves from us all.
Kiss Claire for me. Ever yours. S.B.
Address: Monsieur Milsand, / St Aubin-sur-mer. / par Luc. / Calvados.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library, Joseph Milsand Archive.
1. Year provided by postmark.
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