Title
Emily Hooper to Priscilla May 26 Feb 1835
My dear Priscilla
I have had but little opportunity to chat with thee or rather, to thee lately, and tho' I was to give thee a little account of each day in its course, still as the events of the morning have been of rather an amusing nature - I shall skip over the preceding days, to relate them whilst they are fresh in my mind. I must first tell thee that on seventh day poor aunt had one of her severe headaches, and not able to go to meeting yesterday, though rather better, consequently she was not down to breakfast this morning. Betsy Ship & I sat down at about 1/2 past 8 & whilst in the middle of the meal, a one horse chaise drove to the door & who should alight than "pretty Dick" & his sister Henrietta the latter coated & clothed to a surprising extent, with the light beaver bonnet on that thou wilt remember attracted C.Collier's attention at the Monthly, which she said looked as if made out of one of his father's old hats.
The former was not at all more comprehensible than heretofor, canst thou not imagine the state of perturbation I was in all breakfast time, laughing heartily in my sleeve tho' outwardly as grave as a mustard pot, except when a remark called for a smile. As soon as it was over I made an excuse to go up to see my Aunt, tho' in reality it was to give Eliz. a hint that we must dispense with the reading this morning. They had not heard that thou hadst left Frenchay, so I had to relate the circumstances that called thee home & soon after to my great relief Phillip came in & said he was sure Anna would be glad to see them if they would excuse having to go into the nursery the chimney of the parlour having been swept that morning, this led to a discussion on the advantage of the sweeping machines & the "interesting bird" took great pains to explain to us the manner in which the poor boys were frequently smothered & endeavoured to illustrate his subject more clearly with his pencil on the back of a letter & then I gladly ran to put on my things to accompany them to P.'s. We found A in the nursery with their baby in her arms in a particularly happy disposition for which he was much commended. As Anna much wished Henrietta to see F.'s baby we agreed to call to ask if it was a fit time, so notwithstanding that Dicky was in a great hurry to return to business, and, also had many scruples on the propriety of such a call, he told me he thought "when Ladies were indisposed in the way that Mariana was, he thought the quieter the house was kept the better". I could not of course but assent to so sage a remark, tho' having determined to go, we didn't just then choose to act upon it. I was sorry the little fellow was asleep, so that we could have but a very poor view of him, however, I think H. was quite pleased with the peep she had of him, & as her brother's patience was nearly exhausted she took a hasty leave & returned home.-
George Croker Fox & his wife attended the meeting here yesterday and as Aunt knew they would call here afterwards, she got up earlier than she otherwise would to receive them, for which she thinks she is rather worse today.
We had an interesting letter from Emma Curtis last week in which she gives an account of the very affecting decease of poor Jane Beck, what a shock it must be to her relatives, to poor Catherine particularly, whom she says will be doubly dear to them as a sister from the lonely situation in which she is left. Emma hoped either thou or I would write to her immediately when F. was blessed with a son & heir, of course I was not long in sending her joyful tidings.
She desired her dear love to us, with thanks for our joint epistle, which she read to Maria Gordon, and that we would have been highly diverted to have heard all her remarks upon it, & how she continually stopped her to enquire who all the persons mentioned in it were.
Aunt says she puts her in mind of the story of Rip van Winkle, as she seemed to be awakening amongst her relations, after a long sleep & to be beginning to find out how and where all those are, who she remembers formerly to have known something about, tho' perhaps very differently circumstanced to what they are at present. Emma says she seems to feel as a sort of Grandmother to all the rising generation.
A cheerful letter arrived from Frederick on seventh day, speaking of the "affaire du coeur" between William Ball & Ann Dale remarks "that should the former succeed he will quite eclipse Jere who sought so long in vain to turn her Head. the letter was dated from Dresden but he said he meant to carry it with him as far as Leipsig.
(3rd day) As nothing worthy of notice has occurred since yesterday, I shall go back a week & tell thee that last third day being very fine, we went to Bristol, passed the greater part of our time at E.Bright's where there are certainly many pretty things, but nothing very out of the common & I had rather have been shopping - we called at Cooksworths and they had some more braid in, of which I bought one piece - but fear it is too light.
5th day we went again, but only to pay calls, first at John Warings. Margaret W. is much better, able to go to meeting again, two of the daughters were at home, not the same we met at Aunt T's. They told me there was but one place in Bristol where they could get the twine they make bags of, and that is at Welsh Back, did I tell thee that Sarah W.sent me her bag as she said she should, it is very pretty & I should like to make one, but whether I can get the twine or not I cannot tell.
We next called at Young Roger's only saw his wife & then at {Maria} Harding's she was one of the Taylor's married a sick man and lives in a large house at the Redland end of Bristol.
As I feel sadly indisposed for writing now, I shall lay down my pen but after post time perhaps I may receive a letter from thee which will stimulate me to proceed.
1st day. Notwithstanding that thy much wished for epistle did arrive soon after writing the above, & I have also felt desirous of continuing this scratch, I have always found some little obstacle or other in the way of my doing so. Perhaps I shall most easily account for this by telling thee that we have had Bessy to spend a few days here, but her Papa sent for her yesterday. As it was the anniversary of their wedding day. Thou knowst well what an important little personage she is, {it} is absolutely necessary to give your whole attention whilst she is with you & it generally happened that { } her to me at the very time I should otherwise have { } to reading & writing, whilst I was by myself. I have finished perusing the second volume of "Letters from { } Mountains & am quite delighted with the book, they are written with so much ease, and appear so genuine that I feel almost as tho' I was acquainted with the writer, a person possessed of a very lively imagination joined with good sense. & she must I think have been a very {executive} person, certainly one quite beyond the "common herd of mortals"-
Thou wilt be sorry to hear of the very suffering state poor Sarah Marsh is in.- Margaret Waring & one of her daughters called here yesterday & told us a little about it. I think one or two of them were kind enough to assist during her confinement as her poor mother was quite worn out. The poor baby died through being so long in the birth. Ann W. said it was a lovely child & the surgeon tried many experiments to restore it but in vain. Sarah's suffering was so extreme and she was I suppose in considerable danger, as for many days two surgeons attended three times a day. She is now attended by one twice a day. She has been so long in such a delicate state that must, I think, anticipate a lingering recovery. I long to hear again of her.
Elizabeth Fox is gone to Bristol this morning to meet with Stephen Grellet who is to be at the meeting. It is a cold damp morning but Aunt is intending to venture to meeting. She has not yet walked out since her indisposition nor come down to breakfast so I have been reader every morning and last first day evenings too, which I did not much relish, out of Tommy Elwood, tho' very likely the servants were as well pleased as the hour was as long as my voice & eyes (for the print is rather confused) could comfortably hold out.
On sixth day, I finished making Aunt a nightcap with a piece let in front, with thick little tucks on each side of it. Think of thy stiff muslin & then whether this was not very interesting.
On fifth day we called on Mary Player, saw her tenth great boy, she has eight living and no daughter. Little Sarah Taylor was there, & said she was going to leave her present apartments & is now on the lookout for others.
Sixth day we took our long talked of ride to Siston, it certainly is a very nice place tho' I cannot say it quite answered my expectation which from what I had heard was raised very high. I find the master is called by the country people Squire Jackson.
The house is built in the Cottage style the door is in the middle & a window on each side, on the left projects a walled kitchen garden, no doubt a very nice one but most awkwardly built situated obstructing part of a beautiful view from the parlour windows. You approach the house through a long field with light iron railing round, & handsome trees on each side of the carriage road, which gives it a very park like appearance, though it looks uncompleted without a lodge at the gate, & in such a lonely situation it seems particularly requisite. You drive round to the back of the house from which the kitchen & offices project & beyond these are the stabling coachhouse, all they say very complete. We found the Squire's Lady in the parlour a small but very comfortable room. She seemed glad to see us, & said herself quite stout now but she was looking very delicate. Aunt asked her to allow her to show me the drawing room, which is large & certainly handsomely furnished with Mahogany but in my estimation the fitting up of it does not equal F.'s on the whole, however I admired the place greatly, and without one spark of envy. For how can all this make up for the lonely situation in which poor Sarah is placed. I forgot that Samuel does or at least that I suppose he does in some degree to her. It seems to me as tho' she should have a friend always staying with her to make it even tolerable. It is altogether a pretty ride there we had Bessy with us, who seemed at first to enjoy it much, but slept most of the way home.
I have reserved the subject I think most interesting to tell the last. As thou saidst thou shouldst read this first. I mean dear Mariana, in most respects she has gone on very well. But what she most dreaded has indeed proved a great draw-back to her. Thou wilt know that I refer to the nursing. For some days they feared there would be no supply for the baby. Every time he was brought to her it occasioned great suffering & one morning the nurse & Mariana quite gave it up, but her Mother still wished it to be persevered in. Another baby was brought to try who appeared to make something of a meal, and with better success a woman has been twice a day for two or three days, which is not now necessary, the baby has still but a small supply from his Mamma but as they hope it will increase, Anna has undertaken for the present to give him one meal a day. We hope it will not be too much for her as she is now just getting her strength up. She has great pleasure in doing it. They are so many there of themselves that the rest of the family think it best to go but very seldom. I have only seen her once, on fourth day. She was looking rather paler, but very nicely, little baby was there sucking but very idly. His Mamma had to give him many shakes to remind him of his duty, & called him a little rogue many times. She told me she had suffered much more from nursing than from her confinement, they think the great anxiety she suffered on account of it carried forward & in some degree prevented the supply. It is a great comfort that as she is never likely to be a good nurse he takes so well to the bottle. She asked me to give her dear love to thee. She sat up three [hours] day before yesterday. Yesterday not so long, but [she] was up when Aunt called after meeting.
[Francis] as thou wilt suppose as pleased as possible with his everlasting little Seraphim as he calls it, but pretends to consider himself badly used, for he says that tho' he has a son, they do not allow him to be with him in the parlour the short time he is at home. Then he is mostly asleep and if he goes to kiss and play with him they all cry out Oh! Francis, pray do not disturb him so he may not do as he likes with him now he has him is this not singular.- he is a sweet little fellow very like his Mamma not handsome but quite a satisfactory child.
C.Collier is still detained with Edith Clarence, who is very delicate, her husband too has been ill & laid up at an inn near Plymouth for a week which has occasioned her great anxiety. C.C. spent fifth day with Mariana, she has been over here before to call but would not allow Mariana to know she was here.
Ann is to go to spend a few with Anna on fifth day. W.Ball is going to town & third to visit his beloved, and I shall enclose this letter with one to Mariana requesting her to put it in the post if no opportunity occurs within a few days.
Aunt unites with me in dear love to your circle & desires that we may hear continued improved accounts of you. I have not room to remark on the particulars of thy letter but believe they were interesting to me. I want to hear more about the Beck family we felt very much for them in their complicated trials.
Do my dear Priscilla soon send another letter brim full to thy affectionate Emily.
Pray tell me if thou hast been able to read this scratch. I cannot go over it again.
[Upside down in another hand:- this was enclosed in mine I tore this in opening mine, I have not read one word D.H. [Deborah Hooper, Emily's mother]
Samuel May [Seal : gothic D.H.]
for Ampthill
Priscilla Beds.