SD715. Samuel Moulton-Barrett (brother) to Henrietta Moulton-Barrett
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 2, 365 (in part).
[London]
Tuesday Janry 26th 1830.
My ever dearest Henrietta
I should have answered your nice long letter before, only Treppy told me she would; but she has been so very busy buying & making gowns for the negroes, (that Rebecca sent for) that she has not had time, as the ship sails next Monday. It is now early in the morning & the fogg is so thick I can hardly see, at breakfast I could with difficulty find the way to my mouth, so you may suppose how dark it is, the streets are worse than ploughed fields, for the snow & frost we had is now thawing, the Paddington stages are obliged to put a horse before them with a postilion it is so bad; during the frost I could not keep any water in my room for it froze so hard that it broke my mug; I have been very gay since I last wrote notwithstanding this weather, I mentioned in my last despatch that I was invited to spend the twelfth day at Mrs Bayfords, but the day after I wrote; I recieved [sic] a note from Augustus to postpone the party, as three of his sisters & Mrs Bayford were taken with very bad colds, but on the 14th I was invited again & I went & stopt there, it was a deligh[t]ful party, we had round games, & a large twelfth cake which I assure you was particularly good, they desired me to give their best loves when I wrote to you; Emily goes to Ireland by Bristol so I think you will have a chance of seeing her, James looks very pale & thin he had been confined to his room for six weeks & had only just ventured out, Augustus went to college last Monday—he leaves it next June & does not return.
The Monday after I was there; I went to a Ball at Mrs Dun[n]s it was over at one, there were about forty people there; & coming home I got the benefit of a fellows fist in my face, who was half seas over, luckily it did not spoil my beauty; it was a very pleasant evening minus the blow. Mr Sterling invited me to dine with him last Saturday & to sleep there as it was his Sons Bi[r]thday, I went & had a delightful party; after dinner we had the Majic Lantern & a show they brought with them from Paris I do not know its name; there were two Snap Dragons made with Scotch Whiskey, & after that, we had dancing & went to bed at twelve, Mrs Sterling is just the same, still very unwell. Granny & Treppy send their best love & are very much obliged to you for the game &c, they were all capital, I as[s]ure you; Granny eats nothing in the morning for her breakfast but your bread which she says is delightful & Treppy says whenever you have an opportunity she would be much obliged to you, to send her two loaves as Gran[n]y is so fond if it, I think Granny gets stronger every day; directly the box was opened the parcel was sent to East Street according to your orders; In your letter when you mentioned Mrs Martins party, that you were going to, you said it was to consist only of the “better sex”[.] I am glad to see you have such a good taste, but you made a regular Irish blunder as you were to be there, I really think you have done capitally on the heath in collecting so much; in depositing the money in the hands of the com[m]it[t]ee I hope you made a speech. Give my very best love to all & many thanks to dearest Seppy for his note.
Your ever affectionate
Sam.
I am going to a party at Mrs Charlsleys tomorrow night there are to be more than a hundred there it is the christening of her child it begins at nine Oclock, which is the fashionable hour. I have been invited for a month; I will give you an account of it next time I write.
Have you heard from Bumy?–
Mind and write soon
Address, on integral page: Miss H Barrett / Hope End / Ledbury / Herefordshire.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library, Altham Archive.
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