SD583. Angela Bayford to Henrietta Moulton-Barrett
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 2, 346 (in part).
Chelsea.
January 20th 1827.
My dearest Henrietta,
Your last dear letter, with Mrs Barrett’s kind and welcome addition must have crossed on the road a long epistle of Emily’s to Ba, containing, I understand, a full account of the state of Mama’s health; I therefore deemed it unncessary to follow up her letter, with one from myself, which could have been nothing but a repetition & accordingly I have purposely delayed answering your last till it should be in my power to communicate some news. I now take up my pen to satisfy your anxious enquiries concerning our dear Mama, and I think I can to so with pleasure, as we all agree in considering her as recovering, tho’ not so rapidly as we could desire. She is now able to take a few turns every day in the Balcony which opens out of the Back-drawing room, and it is delightful to see how much she enjoys the little air and exercise, she is enabled to procure in this manner; her general health which we feared would much suffer from constant confinement is by this means preserved to a tolerable degree, and as she is now able to be more amongst us, her spirits are kept up by the constant mirth which always enlivens our domestic fire-side. It was so long a time since she had felt any inconvenience from her knee, that we considered the effects of her accident almost removed, and little were any of us prepared for the sad relapse to which she has been subjected by the unfortunate walk to Kensington.
I dare say you have seen by the papers the loss poor Mrs Tober has lately been called upon to sustain in the death of her third Daughter Fanny. She caught cold from an incautious exposure to damp, which was followed by the typhus fever– For several weeks she continued delirious, and altho’ every care, & attention was paid her, and the best medical advice procured, she died after a great deal of suffering. Her illness came on whilst she was at School, and the Lady under whose care she was placed, neglected to inform her mother of it, till some days after the first symptoms of indisposition had appeared. We have not seen Mrs Tober since this sad event, but understand that she is much supported under her affliction.
A very nice meeting took place at Chelsea on the 2d day of the new year, for the express purpose of exhibiting and introducing Wolf to its inhabitants– A bad cold prevented my being of the party; but I, and Mama, the only two of the family whom necessity obliged to remain at home, were much pleased by the interesting accounts we received from the others who were present. Mr Wolf’s speech seems to have been replete with most entertaining anecdote, and his enthusiastic desire again to return and preach to his Brethren the Jews, must have been strikingly interesting– Papa had the honor of introducing him to the Company, and he was much gratified by the affectionate manner in which Wolf spoke of him to the meeting, as his ‘dear Patron’! The morning previous to the meeting, he spent with us, and he gave Mama a long account of the whole affair with Lady Georgiana Walpole, and as we were all in the room this conversation afforded us uncommon amusement and it was with some difficulty we preserved our gravity during this relation which was given in the most simple manner possible. He is at present in Scotland, but will return before the 6th of February which is the day fixed for the happy event; and it seems uncertain how long they will remain in England after the performance of the ceremony. An old servant of Lady Georgiana who is much attached to her, will accompany her in her travels; and I should think a female companion would prove of great comfort to her, when wandering with her ‘cher Mari’ thro’ the deserts of Arabia, on their mission to the Rechabites! Mr Wolf wrote a full account to the Lady, when first engaged to her, of all the difficulties & dangers She is likely to encounter in her missionary labors, but tho’ he purposely represented them in the most unfavorable light she was not in the least discouraged, and her zeal was rather increased, than diminished!
We had yesterday a very unexpected pleasure in a visit from Sam who came laden with a most welcome present of game; he also brought a letter to Mama, from dear Mrs Barrett, which was devoured with the greatest avidity, and proved a most refreshing solace to the poor invalid who was that evening completely confined to her own apartment by a desperate head-ache. Early this morning (Saturday) James, Emily, and Ann Saunders who is staying on a visit, set off for the house of a neighbour, from whence they proceed[ed] to Kensington to see the funeral Procession of the Duke of York, which will pass that way on its road to Windsor. They expect to have a very good view of the whole, from the windows of a Friend’s house. It was scarcely light when they left home this morning, but notwithstanding the cold, and the darkness they were in excellent spirits, anticipating great Pleasure from this little expedition. Sam, and Augustus considering themselves as part of the Canaille joined the mob, and since their return home, they have informed us that they were obliged to pay half a crown, which they did very reluctantly, in order to get a view of the procession, which did not answer their expectations–
As to Christmas gaieties—we have not had much of them, as you may suppose—tho’ Mama has kindly allowed us to have several little parties, of young people, at which her presence was not absolutely necessary. We spent twelphth [sic] night with our cousins the Cumbereleyes, whom you may remember to have met at our house– Mr D’Arblay Miss Burney’s Son who is very intimate with the Family, was of the party. He is a very insignificant looking little man, & extremely eccentric in his manners. He is however endowed with the wit, and cleverness of his Mother, and in conversation he is particularly agreeable, and amusing. The Cumbereleyes returned this visit on Augustus’ birthday which was on the 16th of this month. We had a very nice evening; James exhibited the Phantasmagoria, and we had several quadrilles afterwards. I fear that the late hour we kept that night, was the cause of Mama’s terrible head-ache–
I have just been entreating Sam to send some message by me to you, but he absolutely refuses to do so alleging as a reason, that he has nothing to say to you, as he is going to write on Monday.
Augustus, and he, I blush to say, have just sat down to a game of chess, as the best expedient to kill the tardy hours previous to dinner. … So I hear from good authority that dear little Sette has been barbarously robbed of the beautiful ringlets, which used to flow on his pretty white neck! I trust this piece of information is not quite accurate, and they are only cut off for a time, to grow again in greater luxuriance——
And now, dearest Henrietta, I must conclude this epistle lest it should not be in time for the post, as I should be very sorry to miss another day in answering your dear letter. Give our most affectionate love to all your party, and distribute kisses to those who ought in propriety, to accept them.
Sam’s visit has brought to our rememberance the delightfully happy days we spent at Hope-End; and Emily and I delight in talking over the pleasant hours we then engaged[.] Adieu dearest Henrietta
yr ever affectionte
Angela
Emily sends her particular love to dearest Ba and I join in the same. I must not give any message from Mama except Loves &c as she intends sending an immediate answer to Mrs Barretts last letter.
Emily & Ann who have returned but a few minutes ago from their morning excursion join with Sam, & Augustus in expressing their disappointment at the sight– It was nothing more than a common funeral except in a few particulars!
Address, on integral page: Miss Henrietta Barrett / Hope End / near Ledbury / Herefordshire.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library, Altham Archive.
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