Clarkson, Catherine (1772-1856). - Letter, from an unstated address, to Dorothy Wordsworth (1771-1855), at Rydal Mount, Kendal, dated 25 to 30 December 1825. WLL / Clarkson, Thomas / 22.

<1825 Dec. 25>

My dearest friend!

This is Xmas day & your Birthday & being Sunday we have not our usual party in the Kitchen so that the house is as quiet as possible & I will take advantage of it to wish you many happy returns of the day & of the season & to ask your forgiveness for my long silence. I can scarcely tell how it happened that I did not write to you after the death of our sweet child but I believe I expected to hear from you about that time & the sad event besides the sorrow brought a great deal of care upon me. All the family came here for a time & I was so badly off for Servants that it was with difficulty that I could keep things going on with tolerable comfort. The darlings death was received by us all with thankfulness for the state she had been in for the previous month was dreadful & the effort to come near the example she set us too much for our weak nature at times. It is however a comfort to reflect that no hired Nurse (the thing of all others which she dreaded most) was needed. She expired in the presence of all whom she most loved without a struggle or sigh or the motion of a finger. Her poor Father shrank from witnessing the last scene though he had constantly slept in the room with her but could not resist a message which she send to beg to see him. The sight of him gave her vigour for a moment & she cried out "how do you do dear papa dear darling papa" He asked how she did "Not very well just now but I shall soon be quite well" A short time before this Anna had offered her something to moisten her mouth - She whispered to her "I am going to die love" Anna said "do you feel happy love" "as the day is long" was her reply. - She made them all kiss her repeatedly - then came a painful moment for them - she tried to say something & seemed distressed that she could not make them understand her. At last Anna who had been in the habit of reading to her asked if she should read a Psalm her favourite Psalm - That was what she wanted & Anna read the 23 Psalm when she came to the verse "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil &c" the countenance of the sweet creature assumed the most beautiful expression imaginable & this continued till the Psalm was ended when she turned her cheek to the Pillow & closed her eyes - Her head drooped a little & thus her spirit passed away

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She looked as dear Mary expressed it like a beautiful flower that had just snapped on the stalk without being separated. I never saw any living creature nor any production of the pencil or chisel so beautiful as she looked in her coffin.

Poor Tom did not get home in Time to see her alive - I wrote to him at Lancaster to hasten home & without receiving my letter he lost no time - One day sooner & he would have seen her - He followed her to the grave. The state he left her in & anxiety for Mary & for us all added to the heat of the weather & the novelty & excitement attendant upon a first Circuit was rather too much for him but he seems to have recovered nearly his usual state of health. He is in fact better than Dr. Williams expected in the time & I hope that he will yet be a strong man - The Circuit was a very successful one much more so than could have been expected & what was very gratifying to him the chief part of his business came from his old Clients who had employed him as a special Pleader. He was very sorry not to have been able to get to Rydal. It was at Lowther Castle that he saw your dear Brother at Dinner. It was very inconvenient to him to go there but he was resolved to do it that it might not be thought by the Bar that he had any party feeling. He went to look at Eusemere Hill & was surprised at the beauty of the place. He came [[-?-]] here on Thursday but he has only spent one [[-?-]] day with us. I thought he looked very ill at first but country air has done him good already & I anticipate a further amendment in the ten days which he hopes to spend amongst us - We have been disappointed of our Xmas party - My Brother John could not make up his mind to leave London during such a distressing time though he is not likely to sustain either loss or inconvenience. Here we are no otherwise affected than by the dullness of the Markets which as I have paid my Rent does not affect matter to me though if it should continue long will not be pleasing - My Farm has done well & only gives me healthful occupation - Ld Bristol has been to see us & was so surprised & delighted that he could not contain himself - He jumped about like good Mr Wilberforce - was here & there in a minutes space - took hold of my Husbands arm & squeezed it - in short he was quite

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transported - When he got home he wrote a beautiful Letter which if I were not lazy & had not so much to say I would transcribe it is so unlike what most Lords write -

I have had a busy summer & from the want of good servants was at one time nearly knocked up but the worst part of the story was that the most useful one of the set proved a rogue. I know you will be very sorry & I am sure you will pity me when you learn that Henry has been robbing us by little & little for a length of time. At first I hoped [] was not entirely dishonest but could not resist the [] of wine or spirits when they came in his way & under this impression we had determined to keep him as occasional Gardener but we found that he had keys made to the wine Cellar & other places & he shewed such a base & ungenerous spirit by trying to cast suspicions upon the innocent that we were obliged to give him up. I have now a married couple in the House - The man is a Brother of Samuel who lived with my Father & Charles who lived with us at Bury. He understands Gardening & promises to be a useful Servant - His Wife is a very good Cook & pleasing in manner - So that I hope we are suited Edward & Elizabeth are married - I saw then both last August before the event took place He was certainly quite rational but I thought his intellects somewhat impaired. - He seemed childish to what he used to do - His wife will have to maintain him I fancy -

It is time to talk of more important matters - I rejoice exceedingly to hear that a new Edition of Williams Poems are is coming out. It is a symptom of improvement in the age & an earnest of still greater improvement to come I have often thought & to one or two persons I have said that I was quite sure that William might long since have silenced all opponents & carried all before him by publishing a few poems of an elevating class alone - without a word of preface or remark - It is better as it is perhaps For the last three years I have had so little time for reading & have been occupied in so very unpoetical a manner that you cannot think with what joy I have returned to my first love joy not unmixed with sorrow & self reproach that I should have wasted so much time in such low pursuits. If however

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I should have secured myself & others from the necessity of recurring to them again I trust that I shall not have cause for permanent regret & at all events my Husband has been set free to follow the noble impulses of his better nature. I must not finish my letter without saying something of our health. At times my Husband is troubled with Rheumatism & it often goes to my heart to see him so lame. For myself I am taught by Dr Williams to expect that I shall outgrow the Erysepelas - Time will do more he says than [] - It is a troublesome & at times a painful complaint [] when it affects my eyes & ears -

My dear friend! I was interrupted on Xmas day & I have been prevented from resuming my pen by the shock I received at seeing in the Newspaper that Mr Hutchinsons Bank at Stockton had stopped payment. I hoped that I might hear something further - The Notification was accompanied by a high [[?]] upon the Firm but not with an interruption of their payments being speedily resumed. I hope that no other members of the family will sustain loss but I cannot keep feeling uneasy. Now don't follow my bad example but let us resolve on parting with the old year to keep up a closer intercourse in the new one. My tenderest love attends you all. You will be sorry to here that poor Mrs Robinson is in a very suffering state & if no change takes place cannot be expected to remain long here - She bears up with wonderful fortitude God bless you all my dear friends Yours for evermore Cath: Clarkson -

Finished 30 Decr 1825

To

Miss Wordsworth

Rydal Mount

Kendal

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Object summary: WLL / Clarkson, Thomas / 22