3474. Robert Southey to Bertha Southey, 1 May 1820⁠* 

Monday. 1 May. 1820

My dear Bertha

As it is now your turn to have a letter, I address to you the information that I arrived safely this morning in Queen Anne Street, where I found all well, & a collection of letters & parcels awaiting me which it was quite frightful to behold, at the end of a journey. However the letter from Edith & your Mamma was among. I am now shifted that is to say, speaking more accurately in the masculine gender, shirted, & cleaned from head to foot, am full of breakfast, as M^r Green [1]  would say, & waiting till your Uncle Henry returns from his lecture to go out with him, & buy myself a new hat, which it is unanimously affirmed, is the first thing that must be done.

I left M^r Browne & Sarah yesterday morning at six o clock; – for notwithstanding my earnest objections, they would rise at five, & make me breakfast before I set out. Little Mary [2]  has sent you a small packet, containing I believe some bead necklaces of her own making. Nothing could exceed the kindness of all that family. Wade [3]  will be xxx nearly two years longer on his travels, & I have promised to procure for him letters to Lord Strangford [4]  at Constantinople, where letters to an Ambassador are of great importance, because they secure the bearer a safe place of retreat in case the plague should appear

What did I say to your Aunt Louisa? [MS obscured] tell her that you were a – no I have not told her that you [MS obscured] is very well, & so is your cousin Robert, [5]  a nice little boy with whi[MS obscured], & beautiful hazel eyes, – he is very slender & talks very prettily. I have not yet seen Charles. [6] M^r Bedford was to have breakfasted here, but he called in his regimentals at seven o clock, to say that he was ordered on duty, this being the day for the execution of those atrocious & wretched conspirators [7] 

Elizabeth <Catharine> Senhouse [8]  has got the small pox, & of a very bad sort; but it is supposed that like all the cases which have occurred after vaccination, it will stop at a certain stage of the disease. I shall call there with your Uncle presently; & one of my first visits also will be to M^r. Nash.

————

Tell your Mamma that I have seen the Rickmans, the Senhouses [9]  the Grand Dormouse, & the Peachys, & that General Peachy is amusing himself by learning Hebrew. Now I must dress, being terribly tired.

God bless you. My next letter will be to Kate. Kiss Cuthbert & tell him Pappa will be sure to bring home a pretty thing

Desire Edith to write & tell me how you all are.