Wordsworth, Mary (1770-1859). - Letter, from an unstated address, to Mary Anne Marshall (1799-1878), at an unstated address, dated [4 May 1836]. WLL / Wordsworth, Mary / 2 / 91.

<May 4 1836>

My dear Mary Anne

I hasten to thank you in the name of Mr W. & myself for your welcome letters just received - only we regret that your dear Mama is suffering tho', with you, I trust the indisposition may be but transitory. As Mr W. hopes to see you so soon I need only express his pleasure in your wish that he should be your inmate while he is in Town - & that he readily accepts your Father & Mother's kind invitation for a part of the time - On his first arrival he is under engagement to Mr Joshua Watson in Park Street Westminster - where he hopes to meet his Brother, & he is also committed with two or three other friends, in Town besides those at Hampstead - however he means to divide himself as well as he

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can, & as to the time when he is to be your guest (I fear you may find him a troublesome one) this may be settled while he is in Park Street. I am to tell you that he is delighted with the cordiality with which you have entered upon his commission - & we are all proud of the [earnest] of success which Mr. Spring Rice's handsome [contributor] sets forth. We regret to hear of Mr Marshall's threatened Gout - & anxiousIy hope it may pass away without interfering much with his engagements -

What tempestuous weather! - At the moment I was writing the last sentence - Dora & I were startled by a heavy [[-?-]] smoke conductor being blown from the top of this room chimney which sent down a shower of stones upon the hearth - & in running to the

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door she found "Father & James" within a yard of the spot where the ruins, enough to have killed ½ a dozen had they been under them, had fallen. This providential escape has driven out of my head what I was about to say - & has set poor Dora's heart & side into a sad flutter. She begs her dear love & thanks for all your undeserved kindness to her - & I am sure she would be most happy & grateful could she venture to avail herself of your hospitalities - She took a ½ hours drive the other day - enough to warn her that her back - which she thought quite well - was not yet strong enough for such exercise - but it must be stated that our Car, which is hung upon Grasshopper springs - does not suit her - the motion to a weak person is

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disagreeable & injurious - We mean to exchange it for one of a more easy construction.

I lament that I can not report favourably of our afflicted Sister - & her situation puzzles us sadly for, her good looks & the healthy & flourishing appearance of her body generally & the functions not being in the least deranged, lead one to think that no bodily disease exists. - Yet she is almost constantly in a state of impatient discomfort - To you I may venture to describe her state as I did this morning to her brother - That she was exactly like a very clever, tyrannous spoilt Child (for she is acute & discriminating to a marvellous degree) - Yet she has intervals of mildness & is overcome by her old affections - & sometimes she is very languid & weeps -

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which is very afflicting - She is interested with the letters of our friends, & while she is reading them she seems as well as any one - but this excitement being passed she relapses into restlessness & discomfort - her brother who has been the last to observe that this was under such influence - observed to her this morning - "I think Dorothy if we could ply you up with letters to read, we should soon have you well." - This observation excited anger. Poor thing! still we hope that when she can get into the garden a change may take place. I am thankful that Mr W. feels it a duty to leave home for his own sake - & his sister's situation being what it is, he will I hope do so without encreased anxiety for her - which he could not have [[-?-]]the case done when her bodily health was so precarious.

The sad disease of which Mr Charles Curwen died was originally a brain fever - but it terminated in a malignant Typhus. Happily it has not spread - he was never sensible after John arrived in Dublin which was on the Sat: & his brother-in-law died on the Tuesday Wednesday Morning - John saw him at 10 oC on the Tuesday night in, apparently, a sweet sleep - & Mr Mason (his Tutor, a most excellent person) was at John's bed side at 6 next mg- to say that all was over at about 3 oC - they thought it right to bury him the same evening - & poor John returned safely in a Coal vessel to Workington from his melancholy mission on the Friday following

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so he concluded the distressing week - having the still distressing task of consoling the afflicted family, before him: C. Curwen was a very clever young man - & spite of great irregularity of conduct was much beloved - he had given his Parents great sorrow by his follies - but for the last 6 months a complete change had taken place - he was studious - regular & had interested every one in his favour. The Clergyman with whom he was placed while in progress thro' the University at D., has from the time of his going to him spoken of him in the highest terms - & laments his loss as if he had been his own son. This happily tho' it adds to the sorrow of his friends - is their best source of consolation.

John came over on Monday to see his father before he leaves home but I am sorry to say has caught so bad a cold by the way in his teeth & jaw - that he has not been able scarcely to lift his head - he is sadly subject to inflammatory attacks of this kind. The weather is more boisterous than I ever remember it to have been at this season. God bless you all ever with best love affectionately yours M Wordsworth

Mr W hopes to be in Town by the end of next week. -

Miss Marshall

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Object summary: WLL / Wordsworth, Mary / 2 / 91