SD470. Edward Moulton-Barrett (brother) to Henrietta Moulton-Barrett

Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 334 (in part).

[London]

[4 March] [?1824] [1]

My dearest Henrietta

I cannot let your birthday pass by without dropping you a congratulatory line, particularly as I have recieved [sic] so kind a letter from you. I do indeed wish you as many years as you yourself may desire till you are as Shakespeare describes it “sans teeth, sans eyes, sans nose, sans everything.” At the same time that you may be as happy as your life long. Sam desires me to tell you to tell Ba as your letter will be at Hope End before hers that he will be at Gloucester on Thursday. At what time do you suppose I got up this morning—at no less fashionable an hour—twelve o’clock. Last week when I was looking over exercises one of the day boys gave me a little bit of dirty biscuit and said he hoped I would not note his exercise worst, I said I never allowed brib<ery> and corruption and gave him his biscuit back, but I must own had it been any thing more tempting I should have accepted of it, though not as a bribe. My time is growing short my dearest Henrietta so I must finish my note, believe me my dear Hen your affectionate—

Bro.

Address, on integral page: Miss. H. Barrett / Hope End.

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library, Altham Archive.

1. Cf. SD466.

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