471. To Mrs. S. T. Coleridge Address: Mrs Coleridge | Greta Hall | Keswick | Cumberland MS. Lord Latymer. Pub. E.L.G. i. 222. Postmark: 7 December 1802. Stamped: Narberth. Saturday Night, Dec. 4 1802. Crescelly, near Narbarth My dearest Love I will not disappoint you of a Letter, tho' by a joint Blunder of mine & the Post Boy's I cannot send the Draft, till tomorrow: & for fear of accident do not expect it till this day week -- tho' I hope, it will arrive on Friday: supposing this Letter to arrive on Thursday. -- I have vexed & fretted myself that I did not send it a fortnight ago -- there was no earthly reason, why I should not. You know, how hateful all Money-thoughts are to me! -- & how idly & habitually I keep them at arm's length. -- I received to night your's+Lady Rush -- with a Letter from Col. Moore -- & one from Clarkson. I was affected by your Letter with such Joy & anxious Love -- so overpowered by it, that I could not endure to read Lady Rush's -- nor have I yet done it. -God love you & have you in his keeping, my blessed Sara! -- & speedily restore me to you. -- I have a faith, a heavenly Faith, that our future Days will be Days of Peace, & affectionate Happiness. -- -889- O that I were now with you! I feel it very, very hard to be from you at this trying Time -- I dare not think a moment concerning you in this Relation, or I should be immediately ill. But I shall soon return -- & bring you back a confident & affectionate Husband. Again, and again, my dearest dearest Sara! -- my Wife & my Love, & indeed my very Hope / May God preserve you! -- And do you above all things take care of yourself -- if you have no other serious objection but the expence, to Mrs Railton -- I desire, I command you, to have her instantly. Heaven forbid we should save a few pounds at this time. ---- If you want the money immediately, & cannot without discomfort wait another Day ---- but this is idle -- one or two Days can make no Difference -- . I have some thoughts of sending 50£, which you may change by paying Miss Crosthwaite's Bill. ---- I shall write to Colonel Moore to morrow -- . To morrow morning T. Wedgewood goes to Treharn, about 13 miles from hence -- to see a Cottage which he means to take / on Wednesday or Thursday he will receive an answer from Gunville -& before this I trust, he will receive an Answer from Luff 1 -- In all probability we shall leave this place for Gunville on Friday or Saturday -- & from thence, after a short Stay, proceed together to Keswick. I cannot doubt that I at least, shall be with you by New-Year's Day / -- tho' possibly I may be obliged to leave you again for two or three months -- . But the Future is a Cloud. Josiah Wedgewood has been ill in the rheumatism / he has written, in a Letter to Tom W. (received this evening) a most affectionate Paragraph to me, assuring me of his Love & perfect Regard. It affected me greatly. It is one o clock -- & I must finish this Letter for it is to go off tomorrow morning at 8. I am very comfortable here. Sally Wedgewood is really the most perfectly good woman, I ever knew / & the three Allens are sweet, cheerful, & most innocent Girls. I cannot help being idle among them. What sweeter & more tranquillizing pleasure is there, than to feel one's self completely innocent among compleatly innocent young Women -- ! Save when I think of home, my mind is calm & soundless. -- Sally Wedgewood plays on the Piano Forte divinely -Warm Rooms, warm Bedrooms, Music, pleasant Talking, & extreme Temperance -- all this agrees with me -- & the best Blessing, that results from all, is a placid Sleep -- no difficulties in my Dreams, no Pains, [no Desires] 2 -- . ____________________ 1 Captain Charles Luff, a young friend of the Wordsworths and Clarksons, lived at Glenridding in Patterdale. 2 Words in brackets inked out in manuscript. -890- There is an old Aunt in the House, a large fat old Lady, (her name Mrs Jones) foolishly good-tempered, & of frisky Spirits. -She is old Allen's own Sister -- & has another Brother, Joshua Allen, a great oddity, & enthusiastic Methodist. It is notorious to every one but himself that he neither does care, or ever has cared, a farthing for his Wife or Children -- This man descanted on Religion in the following words -- 'All our sinful affections give way to the blessed Graces of Religion. I am so compleatly a new Creature by means of Religion, tho' it is well known what Love I bear my Wife & children, yet if a man were to murder them before my face, I am positive, that I should not feel the least spark of resentment.' -- [']Nay, nay, Brother Josh (exclaimed the old Lady who looks up to him as to an Angel) there you do go somewhat too far. I SHOULD be a little offended at it.' ---- Jessica Allen was present -- & told me the Story with infinite Humour. ---- Give my best Love to Mr Jackson, & Mrs Wilson And O! My sweet Hartley! & my Derwent! ---- God bless you & S. T. Coleridge Josiah Wedgewood's Esqre Gunville, near Blandford, Dorset will be my next address.