LETTER209

letter209

marylambtobarbarabetham(aged14)

nov'r.2,1814.

itisverylongsinceihavemetwithsuchanagreeablesurpriseasthesightofyourletter,mykindyoungfriend,affordedme.suchaniceletterasitistoo.andwhataprettyhandyouwrite.icongratulateyouonthisattainmentwithgreatpleasure,becauseihavesooftenfeltthedisadvantageofmyownwretchedhandwriting.

youwishforlondonnews.irelyuponyoursisterannforgratifyingyouinthisrespect,yetihavebeenendeavouringtorecollectwhomyoumighthaveseenhere,andwhatmayhavehappenedtothemsince,andthisefforthasonlybroughttheimageoflittlebarbarabetham,unconnectedwithanyotherperson,sostronglybeforemyeyesthatiseemasifihadnoothersubjecttowriteupon.nowithinkiseeyouwithyourfeetproppeduponthefender,yourtwohandsspreadoutuponyourknees—anattitudeyoualwayschosewhenwewereinfamiliarconfidentialconversationtogether—tellingmelongstoriesofyourownhome,wherenowyousayyouare"mopingonwiththesamethingeveryday,"andwhichthenpresentednothingbutpleasantrecollectionstoyourmind.howwellirememberyourquietsteadyfacebentoveryourbook.oneday,consciencestruckathavingwastedsomuchofyourprecioustimeinreading,andfeelingyourself,asyouprettilysaid,"quiteuselesstome,"youwenttomydrawersandhuntedoutsomeunhemmedpocket-handkerchiefs,andbynomeanscouldiprevailuponyoutoresumeyourstorybookstillyouhadhemmedthemall.iremember,too,yourteachingmylittlemaidtoread—yoursittingwithherawholeeveningtoconsoleherforthedeathofhersister;andthatsheinherturnendeavouredtobecomeacomfortertoyou,thenextevening,whenyouweptatthesightofmrs.holcroft,fromwhoseschoolyouhadrecentlyelopedbecauseyouwerenotpartialtosittinginthestocks.thosetears,andafewyouoncedroppedwhenmybrotherteasedyouaboutyoursupposedfondnessforanappledumpling,weretheonlyinterruptionstothecalmcontentednessofyouruncloudedbrow.westillremainthesameasyouleftus,neithertallernorwiser,orperceptiblyolder,butthreeyearsmusthavemadeagreatalterationinyou.howverymuch,dearbarbara,ishouldliketoseeyou!

westillliveintemplelane,butiamnowsittinginaroomyouneversaw.soonafteryouleftuswewe[re]distressedbythecriesofacat,whichseemedtoproceedfromthegarretsadjoiningtoours,andonlyseparatedfromoursbyalockeddooronthefarthersideofmybrother'sbedroom,whichyouknowwasthelittleroomatthetopofthekitchenstairs.wehadthelockforcedandletpoorpussoutfrombehindapannelofthewainscot,andshelivedwithusfromthattime,forwewereingratitudeboundtokeepher,asshehadintroducedustofouruntenanted,unownedrooms,andbydegreeswehavetakenpossessionoftheseunclaimedapartments—firstputtinguplinestodryourclothes,thenmovingmybrother'sbedintooneofthese,morecommodiousthanhisownroom.andlastwinter,mybrotherbeingunabletopursueaworkhehadbegun,owingtothekindinterruptionsoffriendswhoweremoreatleisurethanhimself,ipersuadedhimthathemightwriteathiseaseinoneoftheserooms,ashecouldnotthenhearthedoorknock,orhearhimselfdeniedtobeathome,whichwassuretomakehimcalloutandconvictthepoormaidinafib.here,isaid,hemightbealmostreallynotathome.soiputinanoldgrate,andmadehimafireinthelargestofthesegarrets,andcarriedinonetable,andonechair,andbidhimwriteaway,andconsiderhimselfasmuchaloneasifhewereinanewlodginginthemidstofsalisburyplain,oranyotherwideunfrequentedplacewherehecouldexpectfewvisitorstobreakinuponhissolitude.ilefthimquitedelightedwithhisnewacquisition,butinafewhourshecamedownagainwithasadlydismalface.hecoulddonothing,hesaid,withthosebarewhitewashedwallsbeforehiseyes.hecouldnotwriteinthatdullunfurnishedprison.

thenextday,beforehecamehomefromhisoffice,ihadgatheredupvariousbitsofoldcarpettingtocoverthefloor;and,toalittlebreaktheblanklookofthebarewalls,ihungupafewoldprintsthatusedtoornamentthekitchen,andafterdinner,withgreatboastofwhatanimprovementihadmade,itookcharlesoncemoreintohisnewstudy.aweekofbusylaboursfollowed,inwhichithinkyouwouldnothavedislikedtohavebeenourassistant.mybrotherandialmostcoveredthewallwithprints,forwhichpurposehecutouteveryprintfromeverybookinhisoldlibrary,comingineverynowandthentoaskmyleavetostripafreshpoorauthor—whichhemightnotdo,youknow,withoutmypermission,asiameldersister.therewassuchpasting,suchconsultationwheretheirportraits,andwheretheseriesofpicturesfromovid,milton,andshakespearwouldshowtomostadvantage,andinwhatobscurecornerauthorsofhumblernotemightbeallowedtotelltheirstories.allthebooksgaveuptheirstoresbutone,atranslationfromariosto,adelicioussetoffourandtwentyprints,andforwhichihadmarkedoutaconspicuousplace;whenlo!wefoundatthemomentthescissarsweregoingtoworkthatapartofthepoemwasprintedatthebackofeverypicture.whatacrueldisappointment!toconcludethislongstoryaboutnothing,thepoordespisedgarretisnowcalledtheprintroom,andisbecomeourmostfavoritesittingroom.

yoursisterannwilltellyouthatyourfriendlouisaisgoingtofrance.missskepperisoutoftown,mrs.reynoldsdesirestoberememberedtoyou,andsodoesmyneighbourmrs.norris,whowasyourdoctresswhenyouwereunwell,herthreelittlechildrenaregrownthreebigchildren.thelionsstillliveinexeterchange.returninghomethroughthestrand,ioftenhearthemroarabouttwelveoclockatnight.ineverhearthemwithoutthinkingofyou,becauseyouseemedsopleasedwiththesightofthem,andsaidyouryoungcompanionswouldstarewhenyoutoldthemyouhadseenalion.

andnowmydearbarbarafarewell,ihavenotwrittensuchalongletteralongtime,butiamverysorryihadnothingamusingtowriteabout.wishingyoumaypasshappilythroughtherestofyourschooldays,andeveryfuturedayofyourlife.

iremain,youraffectionatefriend,

m.lamb.

mybrothersendshislovetoyou,withthekindremembranceyourlettershewedyouhaveofusasiwas.hejoinswithmeinrespectstoyourgoodfatherandmother,andtoyourbrotherjohn,who,ifidonotmistakehisname,isyourtallyoungbrotherwhowasinsearchofafairladywithalargefortune.askhimifhehasfoundheryet.yousayyouarenotsotallaslouisa—youmustbe,youcannotsodegeneratefromtherestofyourfamily.nowyouhavebegun,ishallhopetohavethepleasureofhearingfrom[you]again.ishallalwaysreceivealetterfromyouwithverygreatdelight.

[thischarmingletteristoayoungersisterofmatildabetham.whattheworkwaswhichin1814drovelambintoanemptyroomidonotknow.itmayhavebeensomethingwhichcametonought.beyondtheessayontailors(seevol.i.)andafewbriefscrapsforthechampionhedidpracticallynothingthathassurviveduntilsomeversesin1818,afewcriticismsin1819,andin1820thefirstoftheeliaessaysforthelondonmagazine.louisawaslouisaholcroft,abouttogotofrancewithhermotherandstepfather,jameskenney.missskepperwasbasilmontagu'sstepdaughter,afterwardsthewifeofb.w.procter(barrycornwall).exeterchange,wheretherewasamenagerie,wasinthestrand(seenoteabove).thereisafurtherreferencetothetallnessofjohnbethaminlamb'slettertolandorin1832.]