SD599. Mary Trepsack to Henrietta Moulton-Barrett
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 2, 347 (in part).
[Hastings]
[April 1827]
As we have an opportunity my dear Addles of sending to Sam I avail myself of it to thank you for your dear Letters[.] I have not written many lately to either you or Ba, because I had nothing to tell you of—what think you of that cunning little favorite of yours, he had an Invitation to come & spend his holidays here[.] The letter was acknowledged—but the Invitation was not noticed, altho’ I held out great inducements, such as being my beau & what he wd prefer to all a comfortable excursion on the Waters—give him a gentle pinch for his ungentlemanlike Conduct– I hear (but dont believe it) that he is grown tall– I hope you will find him improved in other respects—he certainly does not do much credit to Mr |Rubui’s| tuition in the pen way–
Granny & I are just come in from a walk, how we wished for you all when we saw the boats going out, the Sea looking magnificent, but the heat intense—we have had a very sudden change from extreme cold to excessive heat very little company here at present, some people seem to think Hastings has seen its best day—incivility from the Shop Keepers &c—& scandal among the higher order seems to have made a great impression– The Blaydes leave here next Month (May)—they have all nearly killed themselves this Winter, & they are determined to keep it up to the last—they asked us this Mng to take |luncheon| with them, they were to have two professional people to play on the harp, flute &c—but they have just sent to say they must put it off to another day—poor Louisa Blaydes I think is in a very bad way, the Medical men here say she has no time to lose in getting further advice, she goes to London on Wednesday– I am very sorry for her, she seems very amiable—what do you think of Mrs B coming before we were out of Bed one Mng to say in two hours time she intended coming to Breakfast with us– I was so excessively Nervous on the occasion that I was uneasy till she came– I took it into my Noddle that she had heard bad news, & was coming to Breakfast with us for the purpose of introducing the subject gradually, I was happy on her going away to find she had nothing unpleasant to distress us with—but expressed herself so pleased with her Scotch Breakfast that she wd another renew her visit– I met her yesterday & she intimated we shall have that honor this week– We pu<rsued> giving her a very hospitable boar<…> wish I was coming instead of B<…>whose condescending movement o<f …> head is as interesting as ever–
There are two young Ladies coming here who are very dashing, & have large fortunes. Granny has recommended to squire James of Fenham—he wish to say he purposed being in London in the course of a fortnight & he wished for a double inducement to visit Hastings. The pleasure of Course seeing us—next some weighty Belle. This little article is scarce, but it is said these late arrivals weighs 80,000—dashing too. I am sure they will do. Granny has sent you my dear Addles a Mng gown which she hopes you will like. They are quite the rage here. Now my dear Girl you must do me a favor, & that is to write out Ba’s verses on Mr. Prices day & send them by Sam, but tell him to keep them till he sees us, otherwise he will send them by the post. We are waiting for Monies before we can decide on any Movements.
I know not how my scrawls will be made out for I have written in much haste—a man has promised to convey the parcel to Charter house & he is waiting for them.
Your ever affectionate T
Kiss all the precious children for us.
You will be sorry to hear that the poor old Robinsons have three Sons become Bankrupt. They are this Mrg almost wild with the failure today of their Youngest in whose hands they had £1500—the earnings of their hard Industry, It was quite Melancholy to see two old people in Tears.
Address, on integral page: Miss H Barrett.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library, Altham Archive.
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