- Brief description
- Letter from Mary Hogarth to Mary Scott Hogarth, 15 May 1836
- Label
- Mary Hogarth, Catherine Dickens’s sister, writes to Mary Scott Hogarth, their cousin, sharing news from her ‘most delightfully happy month’ visiting her sister and her new husband at their home at Furnival’s Inn, London. She shares details about their new home and of Catherine as a housekeeper saying ‘she make a most capital housekeeper and is as happy as the day is long’. This letter is cross-hatched, a clever way to save money on postage by using fewer sheets of paper.
- Collection
- Archives & Manuscripts
- Object number
- B324
- Object type
- letter
- Production person
- Hogarth, Mary
- Production date
- 15/05/1836
- Inscription content
- 18 York Place May 15
My very dearest Mary - I received your very kind letter with the greatest delight - but I was also very much disappointed to find you had never received my (or rather our) letter for both Mamma and Kate had written very long postscripts, we wrote it I am sure four months ago - a friend of Robert's promised to get it franked for us, and I suppose thought promising quite enough without taking any further trouble about fulfilling - I hope now dear Mary you will not think me quite so bad after this explanation I assure [you] we were considering ourselves the aggrieved party, however I shall take very good care this is sent of somehow or other - I have just returned home from spending a most delightfully happy month with dearest Catherine in her own house! I only wish you could see her in it, and sincerely hope you may some day or other, not far distant, she make a most capital housekeeper and is as happy as the day is long - I think they are more devoted than ever since their Marriage if that be possible - I am sure you would be delighted with him if you knew him he is such a nice creature and so clever he is courted and made up to by all the litearry Gentleman, and has more to do in that way than he can well manage. I cannot discribe to you where their house as I do not think in our many perambulations through this murkle toun, we ever chanced to pass it at all events if we did, we little thought then it was to be such an interesting place afterwards and therefore did not note it, it is in Holborn Furnival's Inn it is called - it is not exactly a house but a suite of rooms opening from one to another they wer formerly a set of Chambers which Charles had for 3 years, and they thought it would be a very nice and prudent way of beginning by staying out the expiration of his time, they have furnished them most tastefully and elegantly, the drawing-room with Rose-wood the dining-room with Mahogany furniture - I hope you are fully satisfied with this description.
We were very sorry we did not see Mr. Clay when we was in London, he had just left when we got home the last evening he was here. We saw Peter however for he remained all night and very glad we were to see him, what a Giant he has grown! with the exception of his height I think he is just what he used to be when I was at dear happy Scremerston - were you not very sorry to part with him? he seemed delighted at the thoughts of his new mode of life poor fellow! I hope he may like it as well as he anticipates, Papa thinks of sending William and James to a school at Hamburgh as a thorough knowledge of the German and French languages will be of so much use to them here. We shall of course be very sorry to part with them but it will do them a great deal of good - You ask me how the railway gets on I am delighted to be able to say most prosperously I am sure you would be as happy as I am if you were here to see what much better spirits my dearest Mother is in allready - I fear by this time dearest Mary you will be beginning to get tired of a letter filled [with] nothing but such personal and family news did I not know how much interest to take in (I flatter myself) all of us I should think it necessary to make a much longer apology - Our London friends go on much in the same way as when you were here Mrs Rintoul is quere as ever and her two sweet children as interesting - The Miss Ayrtons lost their Mamma at Christmas poor old Lady she was very ill before she died - our intamacy with them has dwindled down now to a formal exchange of calls now and then Mrs Lawrance and her sister are just as pedantic and Eliza Rose as wonderful (in their eyes at least) as before Miss Gorton is going to be married to a Mr Henderson directly and then the happy pair with the brides Mother set off for Australia immeadiately after the ceremony - To return to home once more - I wish you could see my darling pets the twins - they get more beautiful every day and so clever it is quite amusing to hear and puzzling to answer the questions they ask You may guess how delighted I was to see my dear Cousin Twins again that was indeed a happy happy meeting they are just the same dear affectionate girls as ever and I do not think except of course in height they are much altered I think Teenie very pretty indeed but there is something so good and amiable in dear Jane's face that I think she is as pretty as Tennie in another way I saw Kate the other day she said she meant to write very soon Mamma sends her kindest and most affectionate love in which I most heartily join and believe me to be my own dearest Mary your truly affectionate MARY SCOTT HOGARTH.
P.S. You ask me if [I] carry my new title with dignity if you saw me I am sure you woudl be perfectly satisfied do write me soon and let me know that I am quite forgiven I should like very much to keep up a more regular correspondance once more farewell my dear dear Cousin - MARY.
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