SD632. Angela Bayford to Henrietta Moulton-Barrett
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 2, 353 (in part).
Chelsea
Aug. 30. 1827
My dearest Henrietta;
I am quite determined to break through the practice which you and I have lately acquired of prefacing our epistles with long apologies for our remis[s]ness in answering each others letters; anyone would imagine from a perusal of our correspondence, that we were two of the most jealous suspicious characters in existence, when I do really believe, at least I find it so in my own case, that any of the principal causes of the lengthened excuses which always head the first page of our sheet, is the difficulty we find exactly to know how to begin our letters, which from the days of childhood I have always considered as a most tremendous undertaking. Well do I remember when I was a little girl, how anxiously I used to beg Mama, or one of the family to supply me with a prefatory sentence for the letter which was destined to be the bearer of the latest news to our absent Cousin or Aunt, and if I was not able to obtain one, I was obliged to have recourse to the hacknied introduction of, “we are all quite well, and hope you are the same” or something to the same effect.
It is long since I have condescended to ask the advice of any one as to the best means of commencing my epistle, but that is no reason that the difficulty is removed, but that since my body has attained its full growth (which I assure you on a most magnificant scale) my inventive powers have increased in stature. When I am obliged to write on any particular subject it is easy enough but I am still quite “au desespoir” to know how to preface a merely chatty letter, and am therefore obliged to have recourse to a long string of apologies for past misconduct, promises of future amendment and assurances of undiminished affection; all of which I hope we shall take for granted, and write when it is convenient and we have something to say. This tedious exordium must now usher in my inablity to offer any excuse for the last letter of three weeks standing which I was lazy enough to send you.
The first piece of news that I have to communicate is the departure of the Wolves which perhaps is no news at all. They past [sic] a month before their departure at the Town. Those of our friends the Saunders, and the account we received from them of their strange conduct quite alarmed us from accepting the kind offer they made of spending another month chez nous. As to Wolff we all know his oddities, and do not in the least mind them, but we could not undertake to entertain her Ladyship, and her fine maid who always accompanies her– This latter person who is gone out with them, is a complete specimen of a conceited Ladies’ maid, a character which I dare say you have before now met with. She condescends to do nothing but dress her Lady’s hair and assist at the other parts of her toilet, and she was highly offended once when asked by the other servants to help them in arranging part of the bed-room. I am afraid she will prove rather more of a hinderance than a help to this worthy Couple during their Eastern pilgrimage. Do you know that a young Wolff is expected shortly to make its appearance? I am quite puzzled to know what rank it will hold in Society. Will it receive an education becoming the child of a poor Missionary or will it be brought up in a manner befitting the Grandson of an Earl?
I have lately formed an intimacy with Miss Le Blanc the oldest Daughter of Coll Le Blanc whose family reside near us. She is a very nice agreeable person. She has rather a romantic cast of mind which makes me like her better– By romantic, don’t think I mean anything approaching to indulged sentimentalism, which always has the same effect upon me, that the heaving of the sea has upon the voyager. No, her romantic feelings, being completely swayed by good sense and being, I trust, under the direction of a sense of religion form the most pleasing part of her character. She has spent some months in Scotland, and visited the most interesting spots in that land of poetry. Only think of her having visited Lock Kathrin, and beheld the exact scenery described in the “Lady of the Lake”! She described it as surpassing in beauty what she had imagined; and she was much gratified by hearing some peasants repeat large portions of Sir Walter Scott’s poetry on the very spot. Pray do not tell Ba that I am puerile enough to be pleased with any thing connected with Scotts poetry, which I know she holds in the most sovereign contempt. Had I been writing to her, I shd not have ventured to express such a feeling, but to you it is different, for I believe you agree with me in being satisfied to cull sweets from the humblest flower that grows at the foot of the Parnassian Mount, leaving her to climb the more toilsome Heights and weave rich garlands on the summit.
And now I must not forget that I have a proposal to make to dear Ba, but as it is not of a sentimental but of a literary nature she need not “blush celestial rosy red.” It is to beg that she will devote the next half year of her valuable life in learning the german language in order that she may immediately produce a poetical translation of Klopstock’s sublime work, “The Messiah” with the prose translation of which I am perfectly charmed. Now do not think I am joking for really it is a thing to which Ba ought to give her serious attention. I almost forgot to tell you of the very agreeable meeting between Mama and Mrs Farrar, who introduced her to her Son and husband as Mrs Barretts “own cousin.” Indeed she spoke in the most affectionte terms of dear Mrs Barrett which you may be sure was the way to gain Mama’s heart. She seems a sweet woman[.] Pray how is Miss Ridley, is she still at Gloucester? I hope you will write as soon as you conveniently can, and tell me what you have been doing lately. Has the Ledbury Sale taken place?– Did the Clarkes visit Hope End? &c &c These are questions which require speedy answers—and now my ever dear Henrietta, I must conclude, and with kindest loves & remembrances beg you to Believe that
I am
your very affectionate
Angela F. Bayford
Address, on integral page: Miss Henrietta Barrett / Hope End.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library, Altham Archive.
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