Wordsworth, Dora (1804-1847). - Letter, from Rydal Mount, to Jemima Katharine Quillinan (1819-1891) and Rotha Quillinan (1822-1876), at Boulogne, dated 24 July 1833. WLL / Wordsworth, Dora / 1 / 50

Rydal Mount

July 24th 1833 -

My dearest Mima & Rotha,

I dare say you flatter' d yourselves you were quite beyond the reach of my troublesome pen - & so you were till Papa opened a way for me - therefore if you are inclined to be angry - pray scold him he told me how I might send you a letter free so how could I resist - when I had so much I wished to tell you both of known & unknown western & northern friends - but first let me thank you dear Robin for the few lines you added to your Papa's letter which would have been precious to me at any time - but they seem doubly so now that we are so far separated - & you are both learning to sing how much I should like to hear you? well but I hope I shall some fair future day - so I wont talk about that just now but tell you who we have seen at Rydal - your friends Mrs & Miss Keate - they were at Ambleside a week & we saw them several times - one day Tom & I rode with Miss Keate round the two Langdales - it was a roasting hot day & what with the heat & what with the jolting of her little pony I believe she thought we should kill her before we reached home - next day however she was none the worse & was good enough to say the ride was a delightful one in spite of her poor half broken back - we talked of you both even to my hearts content & I was well pleased to learn from her that the mark on your nose little Robin is really wearing away. They left Ambleside for Keswick but thought it probable they might return this way.

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Luckily they arrived at Ambleside before my Father set off for Staffa so they saw him one evening when they drank tea at Rydal - but it was not as cheerful & pleasant an evening as we could have wished as we were all in a half frightened to death state from an ugly accident which had occurred in the morning - My Father was driving - Mrs John Wordsworth my Mother baby & Nurse down to Bowness & when they had gone about a mile past Low Wood - snap went the front axle-[tree] & out flew Father, Nurse, & baby - Nurse to prevent herself falling upon the baby put out her arm & falling with all her weight upon it dislocated her Elbow No one else was the least worse thanks to Sir Edward who stood still instantly & behaved as well as horse could do - dear little baby was fast asleep when the accident happened & never awoke till my Mother picked her up - Her own Mother was so terrified, as you may well imagine, that she could not get out of the carriage till her husband who was behind on horseback came up & lifted her out. She was however in the end thank God none the worse & poor Nurse is recovering the use of her arm nicely - tho' of course she cannot at all assist in nursing baby which is a good excuse for us to have her in the parlour more than otherwise would have been proper. She is such a sweet tempered merry laughing little thing with bright blue eyes & a quantity of very pretty light brown hair

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to her foolishly fond "Aunt Dora's" eye she is very pretty but to the world's eye I dare say she is only a lively, healthy looking, little babe & that after all is the best - She is to leave us next week & what is to be done without her I cant tell - but as I survived the departure of my first born God Child it will be easy in comparison to separate myself from this my last born besides she is only going 40 miles from us & that is nothing - You would be delighted to see how well your friend Mrs I: Wordsworth looks & how well she really is. The Staffa party are to be home on Friday their absence has only been of a fortnight. Tell Papa Mr Robinson's 40 Lawyer power has been of infinite service to our dear Invalid who is so much improved that we can scarcely believe our eyes when we meet her hobbling along the upstairs passage even as far as my Mothers room which is converted into the nursery - she drives out in the carriage in the morning & then in the afternoon goes into the garden in her little chair Tom & George are then her Ponies & dutiful attentive ponies they are - indeed they are good & dutiful & attentive to every body & I shall be sadly grieved when the holydays come to an end & that will be in less than a fortnight -

They are gone to the Regatta today which is held at the Ferry You Rotha

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were there one year were you not -? Mr & Mrs Curwen do not come to the Island at all this year Mr. C: being Sheriff for Cumberland he does not like to leave the County - The Harrisons are all at Coniston they come up on Friday Miss Cookson's school opened on Monday so Dora, Wordy, & Beny are rather truants Miss Cookson is better she has had many rides on my poney which agree well with her - The Arnolds are all at Allan Bank - good & wild & happy as it is possible for Children to be - my Mother is gone to dine there today & I am to go & bring her home after tea so you must excuse this hurried scrawl which I am sure you would do, did you know how busy I am kept. George tells me, & Miss Keate said the same, that you are both the boldest horsewomen he ever saw. I wish you would bestow some of your spare courage on the two little or rather big tho' young pupils of mine at Grasmere the Parrys - they are great cowards but when our household is reduced & we can oftener ride together I hope they may gain confidence for without it they never can ride well or in fact at all

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Mrs John Wordsworth sends you her very affectionate love and so do all in this house & with a thousand loves & kisses from myself believe me as ever & for ever

Your faithful & loving friend

Dora Wordsworth

Willy is quite well - the Staffa party hoped to be with him this evening - Tell Papa London John is returned to town from Buxted quite well so both he & my Uncle tell us - Cambridge John is gone abroad for a few months to Switzerland & perhaps to Italy - Mr Coleridge that is S.T.C. so much better as to be able to go to be at Cambridge with his friend Mr Green during the meeting of the wise alias foolish men - & now I must have done Jane is just come to tell me tea is made & I am waited for again Darlings God bless you -

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Miss Rotha Quillinan

Boulogne

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