LETTER139

letter139

marylambtosarahstoddart

[earlynovember,1805.]

mydearsarah,—certainlyyouarethebestletter-writer(besideswritingthebesthand)intheworld.ihavejustbeenreadingoveragainyourtwolongletters,andiperceivetheymakemeveryenvious.ihavetakenabrandnewpen,andputonmyspectacles,andampeeringwithallmymighttoseethelinesinthepaper,whichthesightofyourevenlineshadwellnightemptedmetorule:andihavemoreovertakentwopinchesofsnuffextraordinary,toclearmyhead,whichfeelsmorecloudythancommonthisfine,chearfulmorning.

allicangatherfromyourclearand,ihavenodoubt,faithfulhistoryofmaltesepoliticsis,thatthegooddoctor,thoughafirmfriend,anexcellentfancierofbrooches,agoodhusband,anuprightadvocate,and,inshort,allthattheysayupontombstones(foridonotrecollectthattheycelebrateanyfraternalvirtuesthere)yetisbutamoodybrother,thatyoursisterinlawisprettymuchlikewhatallsistersinlawhavebeensincethefirsthappyinventionofthehappymarriagestate;thatfriendcoleridgehasundergonenoalterationbycrossingtheatlantic,—forhisfriendlinesstoyou,aswellasalltheodditiesyoumention,arejustwhatoneoughttolookforfromhim;andthatyou,mydearsarah,haveprovedyourselfjustasunfittoflourishinalittle,proudgarrisontownasididshrewdlysuspectyouwerebeforeyouwentthere.

ifipossiblycan,iwillprevailuponcharlestowritetoyourbrotherbytheconveyanceyoumention;butheissounwell,ialmostfearthefortnightwillslipawaybeforeicangethimintherightvein.indeed,ithasbeensadandheavytimeswithuslately:wheniamprettywell,hislowspiritsthrowsmebackagain;andwhenhebeginstogetalittlechearful,thenidothesamekindofficeforhim.iheartilywishforthearrivalofcoleridge;afewsucheveningsaswehavesometimespassedwithhimwouldwindusup,andsetusagoingagain.

donotsayanything,whenyouwrite,ofourlowspirits—itwillvexcharles.youwouldlaugh,oryouwouldcry,perhapsboth,toseeussittogether,lookingateachotherwithlongandruefulfaces,andsaying,"howdoyoudo?"and"howdoyoudo?"andthenwefalla-crying,andsaywewillbebetteronthemorrow.hesaysweareliketoothachandhisfriendgumbile—which,thoughakindofease,isbutanuneasykindofease,acomfortofratheranuncomfortablesort.

irejoicetohearofyourmother'samendment;whenyoucanleaveherwithanysatisfactiontoyourself—which,ashersister,ithinkiunderstandbyyourletters,iswithher,ihopeyoumaysoonbeabletodo—letmeknowuponwhatplanyoumeantocometotown.yourbrotherproposedyourbeingsixmonthsintown,andsixwithyourmother;buthedidnotthenknowofyourpoormother'sillness.byhisdesire,ienquiredforarespectablefamilyforyou,toboardwith;andfromcapt'n.burneyiheardofoneithoughtwouldsuityouatthattime.heparticularlydesiresiwouldnotthinkofyourbeingwithus,notthinking,iconjecture,thehomeofasinglemanrespectableenough.yourbrothergavememostunlimitedorderstodomineeroveryou,tobetheinspectorofallyouractions,andtodirectandgovernyouwithasternvoiceandahighhand,tobe,inshort,averyelderbrotheroveryou—doesnotthehearingofthis,mymeekpupil,makeyoulongtocometolondon?iammakingalltheproperenquiriesagainstthetimeofthenewestandmostapprovedmodes(beingmyselfmainlyignorantinthesepoints)ofetiquette,andnicelycorrectmaidenlymanners.

buttospeakseriously.imean,whenwemean[?meet],thatwewilllayourheadstogether,andconsultandcontrivethebestwayofmakingthebestgirlintheworldthefineladyherbrotherwishestoseeher;andbelieveme,sarah,itisnotsodifficultamatterasoneissometimesapttoimagine.ihaveobservedmanyademurelady,whopassesmusteradmirablywell,who,ithink,wecouldeasilylearntoimitateinaweekortwo.wewilltalkofthesethingswhenwemeet.inthemeantime,igiveyoufreelicensetobehappyandmerryatsalisburyinanywayyoucan.hasthepartridge-seasonopenedanycommunicationbetweenyouandwilliam—asiallowyoutobeimprudenttilliseeyou,ishallexpecttohearyouhaveinvitedhimtotastehisownbirds.haveyouscratchedhimoutofyourwillyet?rickmanismarried,andthatisallthenewsihavetosendyou.

yourwigsweresentbymr.varvellaboutfivemonthsago;therefore,hecouldhavearrivedwhenyoucameaway.

iseem,uponlookingovermyletteragain,tohavewrittentoolightlyofyourdistressesatmalta;but,howeverimayhavewritten,believeme,ienterveryfeelinglyintoallyourtroubles.iloveyou,andiloveyourbrother;andbetweenyou,bothofwhomithinkhavebeentoblame,iknownotwhattosay—onlythisisay,trytothinkaslittleaspossibleofpastmiscarriages;itwas,perhaps,soorderedbyprovidence,thatyoumightreturnhometobeacomforttoyourpoormother.anddonot,iconjureyou,letherunhappymaladyafflictyoutoodeeply.ispeakfromexperience,andfromtheopportunityihavehadofmuchobservationinsuchcases,thatinsanepeople,inthefancy'stheytakeintotheirheads,donotfeelasoneinasanestateofminddoesundertherealevilofpoverty,theperceptionofhavingdonewrong,oranysuchthingthatrunsintheirheads.

thinkaslittleasyoucan,andletyourwholecarebetobecertainthatsheistreatedwithtenderness.ilayastressuponthis,becauseitisathingofwhichpeopleinherstateareuncommonlysusceptible,andwhichhardlyanyoneisatallawareof:ahirednursenever,eventhoughinallotherrespectstheyaregoodkindofpeople.idonotthinkyourownpresencenecessary,unlessshetakestoyouverymuch,exceptforthepurposeofseeingwithyourowneyesthatsheisverykindlytreated.

idosolongtoseeyou!godblessandcomfortyou!

yoursaffectionately,

m.lamb.

[missstoddarthadnowreturnedtoengland,tohermotheratsalisbury,whohadbeenandwasveryill.coleridgemeanwhilehadhadcoolnesseswithstoddartandhadtransferredhimselftotheroofofthegovernor.

rickmanmarried,onoctober30,1805,susannapostlethwaiteofharting,insussex.]