Reference
Z699/144
Title
Emily Hooper to Priscilla Strange 25 Oct 1836
10th mo 25
My dear Priscilla
It was with much pleasure that I again welcomed thy hand writing, I had been wishing to hear particulars of your excursion & entered with interest into thy detail of the striking country you have lately traversed, but I could have wished thou hadst extended thy narrative to the relations whom it was your particular object to visit, I should like to have been in some degree introduced to them, also to have heard if they corresponded to the ideas thou hadst formed of them. It must I think be a great satisfaction to thee to know them as they are I feel doubly interested in hearing of them -
I shall not be likely to see my cousin Edward this time of his being in Town as Louisa & I are going tomorrow to Highbury to spend a few days, Lucy Manse is on a visit there -
I went with Papa & Mamma to drink tea there the week before last & mentioned to Elizabeth a report I had heard of her going to be married to one Edmund Pace - which I soon ascertained was quite correct, but is not likely to take place, she said, for a long time. She told me he had been in the habit of visiting there for more than a year past so that she had seen a great deal of him and it seemed pleasant to her to think that her Father knew him.- She said he lived a great way off, which it appeared painful to her to think of so I did not enquire more then.- it was curious that the first time they ventured out together we should have met them at the Diorama, I told her we cast many suspicious glances at her beau & she said she believed it was the only time in her life that she had been sorry to see her friends - Her poor Mother is quite as well as we could expect her to be at times quite cheerful tho' she says for the sake of her family she tries to appear so when feeling otherwise -
You have perhaps heard particulars of F. & M.Tuckett's stay in Town tho' the weather was so unfavourable they contrived to be sightseeing & visiting nearly the whole day tho' often in pouring rain, they slept here one night - dear Mariana was as entertaining as ever & both of them looking better than when up at the Y.M. - She read us a nice letter from C.Collier or Charlotte Jones as I must now call her she was to be married last fourth or fifth day week I am not sure which, & seemed in good spirits at the prospect - She had passed through a time of great bustle in consequence of being unsettled with a servant whilst her most efficient sister was absent, her Father had also been ill, and her intended being on a business journey she had to superintend sundry improvements taking place at her new abode which is only about ten minutes walk from her Father's, all this with her own preparations seemed almost overwhelming & she anticipated with delight the week she was to spend with her husband amidst the calm beauties of nature - after the meeting they were to return home to a cold collation I forget the number of expected guests but it was rather large and she said where they would sit or stand she could not tell -
We suppose Aunt Tuckett with Philip & Anna took almost the same route that you did. I hope poor Helen is going on well we have not heard lately which we hope is favourable -
A.Fothergill has been here this afternoon, he is rather stiff but I believe that will wear off when we are better acquainted with him we shall like to have Harriet near us -
I shall try to spare a few minutes tomorrow to end this scrawl when I hope to have a better pen to aid me -
(Second day) another fine but foggy morning I hope we shall have dry weather during our stay in Highbury, but if not we shall not lack indoor pleasures -
We have just finished reading Mrs Butler's (late Fanny Kemble) journal during some months resident in America - a most diverting work tho' in some parts too minute for publication, some of her descriptions are spirited & full of the wild enthusiasm & extravagance one would think characteristic of her profession, which, however, she is much averse to & seems to have a just sense of its degrading tendency -
We have now begun the Recess - during which the author Dr Johnson makes a tour of the Hebrides - not the Dr Johnson of gigantic memory bur one of our own times a clever man and able writer, I am sorry we shall not hear the conclusion. Of all the sights there are to be seen, nothing has pleased me so much for a long time as the Diorama - that the present scenes are particularly beautiful seems to be the general sentiment, the one in the interior of the church of Santa Croce at Florence which you see lighted up at midnight the monks are at their devotions & the organ plays, after a time the lights are extinguished & the cold grey hues of morning succeed when the monks have withdrawn & it brightens & brightens until it becomes full day - the effect is beautiful - the other scene is a village among the Alps which you first see by moonlight a storm comes on in the night & avalanche falls which by returning day you see has desolated the village - leaving only the church spire visible in the distance, I could have staid hours -
I suppose you have heard the Alton news of the arrival of William's son & heir John is spending a few weeks there previous to spending his last winter at Edinburgh when he hopes to return M.D.
James & Kate are also there for a month I believe -
My cousin E. will no doubt give thee all London news if there is any. Mariana desires her dear love to dear Aunt Uncle & thyself in which we all unite - she would be glad if you would send her knitting which she left in the bookcase - We are very sorry for poor Mary Wiffen that her sale was not a better one - Glad you have the Greenhouse -
With dear love I am Thy very affectionate Cousin Emily -
I am glad to say dear Mariana has been very well for her lately - I am japanning a pole screen a work of time -
Priscilla Strange
Ampthill
Date free text
25 Oct 1836
Production date
From: 1836 To: 1836
Exent
No. of pieces: 1
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paper
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item