Supporting Documents

SD596.  Edward Moulton-Barrett (brother) to Henrietta Moulton-Barrett

Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 2, 346–347 (in part).

[                  ]

[4 March] [?1827]

A birthday letter! How truly disgusting!! We see in the natural world how some animals have a particular antipathy for others, just this sort of feeling do I entertain towards birthday letters. Cats have an almost invincible aversion for dogs, mice for cats, poultry for foxes, tom tits &c for hawks and I feel a still more decided horror of birthday epistles. You will no doubt at once perceive to what this very delectable illustration tends, but if you should not, and are so unnaccountably dull as not to see the full extent of so excellent a compliment, all I can say is, that I pity your want of discernment, and shall conclude by wishing you many dozen happy returns of the day, and myself with the public at large a speedy and total abolition of birthday letter writing slavery.

ever believe me

yr affect.

Bro—

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

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Gordon E. Moulton-Barrett.

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