The Thorvaldsens Museum Archives

My dear M^rs Gaskell

I am particularly glad to write to you at this time as I am able to give you an improved account of M^rs Brandreth – we had yesterday the pleasure of hearing that she was much better & now able to go out in the pony chair for a little air & gentle exercise. She is gaining strength & altogether better, tho’ still suffering from occational attacks of spasmas; but this, from the nature of the complaint must be expected & D^rB. says her recovery will be tedious: itis [sic] a great satisfaction that he is decidedly ofopinion [sic] that her liver is not affected, & tho’ the suffering from the gallstones is indeed bad enough, all the medical men agree that it is not attended with danger, or alarming symptoms & when the attack is over, she will not necessarily be liable to a return, nor will her constitution be so shaken as it might have been had she been obliged to submit to the severe remedias tried for liver complaints. She writes very nicely & cheerfully about herself – so grateful for the kind interest her illness has excited. I trust she will ere long be fully rewarded for her patience – M^rs I. Brandreth has been very uneasy about her little folks for several weeks; the two eldest …er are now pretty stout again, but the baby is still very far from well poor little thing! it took the measles after the others & after several days of danger, struggled thro’ a bad attack of that sad complaint & is now better, to the surprise of D^r B. & of everyone. When the weather is a little warmer Harriet intends having a cottage at Crosby & trying what sea air will do to strengthen them all; it will be a nice convenient situation & suit M^rs Brandreth in point of distance very well. She & their Children [sic] are well I believe & I am happy toadd [sic] that my Mother is better again – I feel in more cheerful spirits about her & hope that her general health will be improved when the warm season will admit of her being more in the air. Our neighbours at the Cottage Harpens & Smithills are all well & gay in their several ways, as thus, 1^st my Uncle was seen one fine morning lately to come forth from his winter quarters & take his station with his arms leaning on the gate of his field & remain in silent admiration of the beauty of his cows for some time – as sure a sign this, of the well being & well doing of all things as the un-returning dove – 2^d the Norris s [sic] are frequent in their invitations & their hospitable tea drinkings 3^d Peter & Elis^th arein [sic] all the bustle & excitement of preparation for their continental adventures – collecting letters & books, & maps & plans, & other people’s thoughts & experiences & ways of going on – in all most amply assisted as you may fancy by Miss Duckworth – She & Elis^th are fagging at German, almost in despair at its difficulties, yet amused by its odd compound words. Miss D. jokingly says (in allusion to her wish to travel to her wish to travel & regret to leave London at this time) that her life like her education is too full of advantages and the same I think may be said of this tour – imagine D^r Somerville’s contribution of 27 pages of instruction for Holland only – They talk of being in London on the 8^th of April & sailing two days after, but whether to Ostend or Rotterdam, & what their subsequent route is still undecided I wonder I have written thus far without saying that your ..tional little note to Eliz^th is duly arrived – I am delighted to think how well all circumstances turn to arrange the….s…es for your continued enjoyment, & most of all that the society from which you have so much pleasure will be so nicely within your reach on your return home the Norris s [sic] & Slades are amused to find you have met their friends the Wintours and were pleased by .. …t of them – Bythis [sic] time of course you will be at Naples I expect you will be charmed with the coast scenery and the boating excursions to the islands & interesting spots in the neighbourhood I almost fear the conclution of your journey will be more hurried than it ought to be; I trust you all three keep well, & that you will be careful not to expose yourselves when the hot weather sets in. Your séjour on the lake of Genova will be delightful in any way – how much you will enjoy your evening drives in the open carriage. You will hear of the famous majority for the repeal of the Corporation & test acts of courte! Notwithstanding the march of of [sic] mind & the enlightened age, there was not wanting a party of the old school in Bolton with M^r Slade & lot^t Fletcher at its head to protest & petition against the measure! The Duke of Wellington presented their liberal remonstrance to the government Miss Duckworth’s remark was good “So Bolton has not been able to overpower the feeling of the nation about the repeat of the test & corporation acts!!! If you have not heard from Lupset lately I shall be able to surprise you not a little by announcing the marriage of (whom do you think?) Miss Poulter to M^r Needham, a dyer! The news were it not well attested w^d seem incredible, mais pourtant c’est vrai – le vrai n’est pas toujours le vraisemblable” you will say. he [sic] is not very affluent so she still continues to teach the young ideas how to shoot. Give my love to M^r Gaskell & tell him to sympathise with me on the loss of all chances of possessing & being mistress of the gay bow windows & tempting house in Norfolk Street. Ms. Loyd is alas, going to marry his young country cousin, whose education report says he has for some time superintended. my [sic] list of marriages is a little longer still. M^r Robert Kay of Bolton (this also for M^r Gaskell [hul i papiret] amusement is to be married almost immediately to Miss Taylor of Bradford house an attachment of 14 years! Surely such constancy deserves to be rewarded – Miss Stanhope (once of Canon Hall) to a gentleman who has a wellsounding place in Surrey, but I am so stupid as to have forgotten his name. – I am sorry that I have nothing to tell you of M^rs Lyall, but of late I have not been much out & have not heard of any letters form that quarter – M^rs Coullman & the Children are still at Hampstead. M^r & M^rs W. Duckworth planning a tour on the continent for this summer – Sarah & I still talk of living in London for a short time after Easter. The State of painful anxiety of our poor friends at Gillnor is at last at an end. M^rs I. Ainsworth expired yesterday morning very peacefully – all her children except two were with her & every attending circumstance was comforting to their feelings. Throughout her illness she had no kind of pain or suffering, & her mind seemed as easy as her body undisturbed by any painful recollections of their situation, she expressed herself to be very happy & her end came on more like gentle sleep than death – – Nothing respecting their plans is settled. I am sorry tosay [sic] Mary has not gained the situation I mentioned toyou [sic] The gentleman changed his mind & sent his daughter to school. They w^d like situations as English governesses in families abroad I rather think, in preference. but [sic] these are not to be heard of all at once. I am staying a few days at Smithills & am ready to quarrel with M^rs P. A. for the very bad writing materials with which she has furnished me – I hope the ink will be darker by the time it reaches you, or you will abuse me as a shabby thoughtless person thus to try your eyesight –
We are longing for the pleasure of your next letter, tho’ it will not come first into our neighbourhood. I trust it will give us a continued good account of you all my dear friends. I am charged .. to give her especial kind love & good wishes & … have abundance of our own to add. Peter Whistley also not to be forgotten. Her constantly talk of you all Believe me my dear Friend very affectionately yours,

Alice Ainsworth