Wordsworth, Dora (1804-1847). - Letter, from Rydal Mount, to Christopher Wordsworth (Jr), Trinity College. - Dated 10.11.1834. WLL / Wordsworth, Dora / 1 / 61

Rydal

Novr 10th

My dear Chris,

I take great shame to my self for not [[-?-]] having not long long ago thanked you for your last most kind & brotherly affectionate letter, & tho I may say little about it I deeply felt the kind feeling which must have prompted you to take the trouble to write that letter; my heart thanks you for it, tho' my pen refuses to write all it dictates. I am now smarting under the old adage "if you will not when you may when you will you shall have nay" for now I am obliged to remain at home, tho' I had fully resolved to be with my friends at Leamington ere this - my travels instead of extending as I had expected from the north west to the South East corners of the Island are alas! confined to the space between my own room & the sofa down stairs - where I lie stretched at full length from morg till night ( - no not quite so bad either for I am allowed to dine & drink tea like other folks which is a great comfort) - the monotony of which is once a week or so varied by a visit from a doz: leeches followed by a blister on the back for it turns out that the back & not the poor calumniated stomach has been in fault all this time - Mr Carr had long suspected it but I fancied I knew better than he did what ailed me but at last I am persuaded he is right - I am quite ashamed to have written so much about my self but I felt it due to the interest you express for my health to explain why I did not follow the advice you & the rest of my friends gave about trying the effect of change of air - besides I wished if I cd

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to remove a little the very unfavorable impression which the conduct which (on this point) of the steadfast Laady must have made upon you - you see I was ill & knew not how or where - & it was the power to go from home that was wanting - & really not all the wish to oblige - at least be good natured enough to think so -

I have had a letter from dear Miss Hoare this morg who can tell us nothing about any of you but John who I suppose is at Paris by this time dangerous Paris! poor dear Charles! well I hope his Love is good & amiable as she is beautiful & then all will be well - for I hear she is really a lovely young Creature.

It did grieve us to part with our kind friends who in spite of Miss Hoare's sufferings seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly - it was very sad that there visit was closed by an event so melancholy - Aunt Wordsworth was very comfortable most of the time they were at Ambleside & so she continues I am thankful to say - My Father has been at Lowther & Halsteads the last week we look for him today. The printing gets on slowly - but I hope the Vol: will be out in a month at latest = his eyes have kept so well that he has been able to correct the proofs himself - that tho' was a good day's work for them - or rather a bad one for the exertion always tells upon them slightly -

Doubtless you must have heard of the heavy affliction with which our dear friends at Keswick have been visited. The late accounts from York of poor Mrs Southey

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are decidedly better & they give every hope that the poor Sufferer will be restored to her family. My Aunt Sarah has been at Greta Hall ever since Mrs Southey was taken away & she tells us Mr Southey and his dear Children are most wonderfully supported. We know not when we are to have her home again & now that we have Aunt Joanna with us she will absent herself with more comfort; till Aunt J. came from dear Mother had far too much to do - for I am worse than useless - poor Aunt W. cannot do much - & Father requires constant attention we are a bright trio are we not: [[-?-]] so bright that I am half ashamed of [[-?-]]sending my Mother's & Aunt Wordsworth's [[?]] about hopes & wishes that some of you would take pity upon us & come to see us at Xmas.

John is the only one I have a shadow of a hope of seeing for Charles' polar star I know to be in Paris & yours I suspect to be in Surrey; it was very tantalizing in you to tell me about Mr Goulburn when you knew very well it was the Daughter I cared most to hear about; so as for John I hope his "heart is yet untouched by the blind Archer God his Fancy free" in which case his movements may be free too & he may be as charitable as you were last Xmas & move Rydal-wards. Pray tell him of our wishes if he escape whole from Paris -

They are quite well at Mores by so is Willy - Poor Owen is []

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low he sadly misses his sweet little Sister & her good friends & he is moreover suffering from a bad cold - he often comes over to us - his love is gone to Ireland she left the neighbourhood a few days before our Friends departed & it is no wonder poor Owen feels low & desolate. How I wish I could command a frank for I am quite ashamed of troubling you with such a stupid scrawl & wh I fear will be more difficult for you to decipher than any of your Greek inscriptions - I am new to this lying-down-flat position & it is as much as I can do to write this beautiful as it is so you must forgive it - with best love from all to dear dear uncle

believe me as ever my dear Chris yr most affte

Cousin Dora W -

Father just come in he begs [] [] [] thanks

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for the Pamphlet which he likes very very much & he earnestly hopes you will come to see him at Xmas -

Should you see Tom Hutchinson over the wall pray give our love to him -

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The Revd

Chris: Wordsworth

Trin: Coll:

Cambridge

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Object summary: WLL / Wordsworth, Dora / 1 / 61