Supporting Documents

SD667.  Samuel Moulton-Barrett (brother) & Mary Trepsack to Henrietta Moulton-Barrett

Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 2, 359 (in part).

July 20th 1828

My ever dearest Henrietta

I received your letter yesterday, open, I suppose Treppy had the coolness to save me the trouble of opening it. Mama [is] still improving, we really ought to be thankfull, get her quite well by the time I see her, make her take a mornings drive to Charterhouse, I am sure Smithfield air would do her an amazing deal of good. The whole school was stopped on Saturday because two boys climbed up a tree and flung stones and broke or otherwise destroyed a beast of a chemists windows and a glass jar holding vari[e]gated waters, showing his trade, and he told Russell, and Russell stopped the whole school till it was found out, and the boys would not go forward, and so some of the uppers [1] in the evening went forward for them, and the two boys, were severely chastised according to the Doctors special orders, and we were permitted to depart in peace as the evening bell struck Two, very fine) Shakespeare again. As you want particularly to be acquainted, with the number of Pupils I have under my juris-diction, I have considered it over, and think proper to inform you that I have fourteen youths of fine complexion, a boy in our house has a tame snake, and keeps it is his pocket all day; and we keep pigeons at Peneys[.] I bought three yesterday tumblers. Yesterday Treppy and I went to the Zoological Gardens and heard a band play in the park, and when we got to the gardens we saw two bears in a den below you loose—the den is like a well and you look down on them; and a quantity of other birds and beasts. Bro has not answered my questions. Give my best love to all. Only Three weeks to the holidays on Tuesday. Yours ever truly Attached

Sam

No news.—

[Continued in the hand of Mary Trepsack]

You complain of my not writing my dear Addles, The truth is I have nothing to write about, we are not in the way of News that can in any way amuse your Circle– Then you have two correspondents whose Letters cannot fail of being more interesting than mine, They are both looking uncommonly well– The young gent was at our bedside before 6 oclock this Mng to say farewell till next Saturday—he is as good as ever & will reach Bro in height very soon,

The improvement in your dear Mothers health gives us the greatest pleasure—our very best love to her, & say If she wants the velvet as a Match for anything, she must put a piece in a Letter & send it up. for we know not whether she wishes for a dull, or a blue black– The Buttons like ourselves have been waiting a daily summons to be off—the former ought to have been ready for the last package that went down, but we were disappointed—by the bye I forgot to ask If the arro[w] root went down Safe, My fears were that it did not, for I thought Arliss packs it in a careless way– You must let Me know If it work[e]d out of the papers, that I May put up some More—at the same time say If there is any thing else that we can do for any of your party—ask Arabel if she has any little commissions, I shall be happy to execute her Ladyships commands—poor Jane must have had a narrow escape, It gave us great pleasure to hear of her good looks & happiness, may it ever continue,

I am not astonished at Mrs Trants wish of change, I never expected she wd remain long in that House– None of their acquaintances here can be made to believe that James was ever engag[e]d to Miss G—but they think Dominic was & I—only the blind—but I understand the young Lady is rather of a fickle disposition, having jilted other young men before—su<ch a> very amiable trait I think, If such is her turn, James has had a narrow escape from being made miserable–

The packet has been looked for all the last week. I hope when she does arrive we shall have good accounts of our dear Invalid[.]

Mary wrote to her Aunt to say, Wood was coming to England immediately, but it was not to be nam[e]d to her friends, for fear If she had a long passage they might be uneasy– I think Mary will do as well without her, for I understand she was of little use– We have seen the black woman who went out with them, she says Sam & Mary are angels– Capt Selby speaks of them in the same way–

I hope Mr Boydes friends will keep Bradley Cottage till we arrive, & then very politely render it up to us—that wd be doing the thing civil–

Tell our Ba <that> altho I don’t write, yet we think & talk of her constantly—& as she has so much on her hands we will not impose her writing to us whilst her father is her correspondent—at the same time there will be no forgiveness to any one neglecting to write every other day– Our best Love to dear Bummy—kiss all the youngsters for us—all united in kind wishes

ever my dear Addles.

Your ever affect

I have opend my Letter to say two Letters are just arrived[.] Mary recovered– They went to Spanish Town for Sam to be appointed sole receiver, which he now is, to the entire exclusion of RB– I have left Granny in Gloucester place, & she has not seen the Letters & Marys[.] I have only run over in a hurry & I shall not return in time to write particularly—but will Tomorrow send the Letter to dear Mama who the good News I am sure will delight—God send this may be the forerunner of more good– God bless you all

Wood is on the Waters.

They had hairbreadth scapes in their way to Spanish Town to get there before RB.

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

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library, Altham Archive.

1. Underscored 5 times.

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