Wordsworth, Dora (1804-1847). - Letter, from Rydal Mount, to Edward Quillinan (1791-1851), at Oporto, dated 1 October 1834. WLL / Wordsworth, Dora / 1 / 60

Rydal Mount

Octo-r 18th 1834

My dear Mr Quillinan,

As you are so far away & seem anxious for news from Rydal - perhaps you had rather receive a letter from me than none at all & this however is your alternative - so if I am mistaken dont be very angry but forgive the presumption, which had its origin in a desire to give pleasure - & now for an explanation of this melancholy alteration - my Father & Mother are with their children at Workington whither they went Monday week & we dont expect them home till Saturday & Aunt Sarah went off by coach this morning to Keswick at a hour's notice; Mrs Southey is far from well, & Mr S is gone with her I know not where for medical advice & the girls wished for Aunt Sarahs company during the absence of their Parents which wish of course she instantly complied with. We had but just time to read over your letter - as it was put into a parcel we were sending to Workington therefore if I dont answer all your queries this must be my excuse - we received it [[-?-] [-?-]]today - & I have an opportunity of forwarding this tomorrow to London by a private hand therefore I think it better not to lose the opportunity - I shall write too a few lines to your Darlings from whom I received a sweet letter since your departure - Aunt Hutchinson called upon them in Wyndham Place - & they completely fascinated her. I shant tell you what she says of Mima because it would make you too vain - she much wishes you would take them to Brinsop at Xmas. She arrived in town the day after you left it - & Mr Monkhouse had been there several days prior to her arrival - he is again in London at this moment - & will have two or three visits more to pay before he is out of the Oculists hands - & thankful I am to say so far - all is going on well & hopefully - next time he is in Bridge St Blackfriars (a charming situation is it not?) I hope you may be within reach to cheer him in his solitude -

Really between every line I am startled by a ring at the door bell It is tiresome! I have had five parties since I began this scrawl - they make me wish I were living in the fens of Lincolnshire - or at any rate that the sun wd cease to shine so brightly - we have had three of weeks of enchanting weather & nobody but ourselves can keep at home

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but I must not quarrel with the sunshine wh agrees well with Aunt Wordsworth who came down stairs to talk to some of our Visiters - she gets out daily in the garden chair. My Father's eyes are pretty well - the new Vol: is in progress we receive a proof about twice a week - Dear Mother is just as usual & still complains that the day is too short I dare say she is happy with her grand Children - yes Children! I have now a Nephew as well as a Niece the latter I have not seen for 14. months & the former not at all - I ought to have gone to Workington with my Father but did not feel equal to the exertion - We have received a cheerful note from Carlisle Willy this morning - they have invited him next week (the Penrith race week) to Halsteads & he tells me has accepted the invitation - "oh no we never mention her" but I believe he is constant to his Mary & she to him. & from a letter I have just received from Chris: I much suspect the God of Love has been paying him a visit too, & that we shall soon hear rumours of a wish to exchange his College rooms for those of a peaceful parsonage - The Lady that becomes his Wife must have been born under a lucky Star that is quite certain:- a daughter of Goulburns is the "happy Fair" as I suspect - but as it in only suspicion & of todays birth pray dont name it - He tells me John is still in Florence & quite well & very busy deciphering an M.SS of Eschylus wh is in the Library there - they expect him home about the middle of the month - when we hope his friend Mrs Hoare (who with her family is now in Ambleside & likely to remain some weeks longer) may be able to persuade him to come into Westmoreland - The Hoares have been in this neighbourhood for the last fortnight & they are perfectly enchanted with the country & no wonder for it is in extreme beauty -

We have had many Strangers - among

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the most interesting were Rogers - Profers Hamilton & Whewell, (not Airey tho' he was here & his wife - & Wife's Sister too) - Wm Westall - & Willie & an old friend of my Father's Mr Wishart - Your young friend we saw & what we saw of him which was but little - as he was in a hurry to be on we liked much - by the way another of our visiters & one of the very priests a Mr Talfourd a Lawyer - was aboard the James Watt when you left her aground near Gravesend - & there he lost a whole day - the voyage afterwards was as prosperous as yours - he came to us on his return from Holland - & past two days with us -

In a letter to Aunt Sarah from Falmouth you ask after the Ivy Cotters - I believe them to be as happy beings as are to be found in this sad world - They like their home so well that small as it is for them, or rather for their establishment, they mean to pass the winter in it & not go to Edinbro' as they once talked of - by the way your & our Friend Blackwood is dead - the Quarterly is as great a stupe, nay ten times greater, in what it says in dispraise of Mischief - we have seen the article - writing of Mags: & Reviews reminds me of a query, I put to you in a wee note of which London John was the bearer, about Rotha's Album. When I read to my Father the note in which you gave permission for me to ask Cyril for his autograph - he Father said "were I in Mr Quillinans place & knew Mr Hamilton to be the author of that Article he should not write in my Child's Album" - so I was determined not to ask him till I again put the question to you; for my anxiety to enrich the Darlings book had made me I suppose half forget that he had ever been a Writer in Reviews - With Aunt Sarah's advice I asked Professor Hamilton for his autograph I was induced to do so by hearing my Father say on coming in fron a long tete a tete walk with him - "Professor Hamilton in the power & nature of his mind is m ore like Coleridge than any man I ever met" & everybody all we have seen English, Scotch, or Irish, who were present at the Edinbro' meeting agreeing in saying he was the first man there -

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however if you dont like him - the leaf can easily be cut out & we shall not be the least offended, indeed pleased by such a proof of your sincerity - I cant agree with your brother about Ro's picture tho' I was charmed to hear of his indignation; the fact is he has not the wit to understand its beauty - I think when you see the pictures side by side you will not think them so very dissimilar - but I begin to fancy you never more intend to visit us - & we must be resigned to this as to other ills I suppose -

The last accounts from Sara Coleridge were a little more favorable by the way in Taits or Tate wh is it? last Mag: there was an atrocious article (to be continued) by the Opium Eater - on Coleridge touching his private character & trying to explain why he & his wife did not live together &c &c he has moreover the extreme want of sense to inform the world that what he tells them he had from Mr Coleridge himself in confidence - Poor Hartley says he "will give it him" & I do hope he will - for such unprincipled wretches do deserve to be strewn up & without mercy - Aunt Sarah burns with indignation against the little monster - whom she never liked over well - Aunt Sarah is so improved in health & strength & looks that she is the wonder & admiration of all beholders if you dont come & look after her depend upon it she will be run off with, some of these days - she & Father & I are going into Switzerland next summer if all be well & we mean to se e as much of Italy as we can - will you go with us? it would be charming I think.

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I am perfectly ashamed of sending such a dirty dull disjointed letter & so far - but what can I do were I to re-write it - I know it would be no better - for I am tired & stupid & worthless - Aunt Wordsworth's best & kindest love -

Ever your faithful & affecte

Dora Wordsworth

I have fifty things I know to tell you but not one can I now call to mind - oh yes about Edith - I hear that she is well & happy but she has only written to me once since she was married & that very soon after she left Keswick; from my friend the Canary Bird I had a kind long letter very lately - they are now at Torquay where they mean to remain till April if the climate agree with Mr Sharpe it is for his health's sake they are gone thither Miss Cookson is much the same better perhaps just now than she has been for some time -

We have the same servants with us as we had when Ro was here - & they often anxiously enquire when they "are to see Miss Rotha again."Mrs Luff is staying with some friends in Dumfrieshire where she means to remain

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all winter if she do not find the air too cold for her - now I will be merciful & stop my pen. It seems folly to trouble you with a letter at all - for I hope you will be on the eve of your departure from Portugal when you receive this & that you may have as prosperous a voyage home as out - in spite of your "Destruction cometh from the North" God bless you

Edward Quillinan Esqe

<Answered Oporto Novb 29. 1834.>

Rydal Octbr 1 - 1834

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Object summary: WLL / Wordsworth, Dora / 1 / 60