242. Robert Bloomfield to Hannah
Bloomfield, 14 September 1809*
Thursday Noon, Sept 14. 1809
My Dear Girl
Your bundle of letters and the egg came safe of Tuesday night and
was most particularly wellcome, I enjoyd the evening exceedingly and thank'd
you. Remember that the road leading down from the Heath field towards Sapiston was my favorite boyish walk and
makes a conspicuous figure in the Farmer's Boy. You had a grove with long green
walks or ridings on your left, and there was a grove on
your right, I suppose now down.—It was there I heard the morning song of the
birds and have often seen the Rabbit, the Pheasant, and all the tennants of the
woods in there glory, and I was in mine. You mentioned in your first that you
walkd with Mr Glover the Heath and
returnd down to Sapiston, having the
park— passing on your right. I think you must then have past over the upper part
of Mr Farrers Back—, as it reaches from nearly the back of his house to that
lane which has on the right hand as you return'd, what is calld park-grove.—I
really doubt whether your Swans have not deciev'd you. I never saw Swans in that
Brook in my life, and cannot imagine to whom they could belong. I think they
were Geese and you will say that I suppose you a Goose for not knowing the
difference, but I would rather hear that you make all the Suffolk Geese Swans than that you find them all dab-chicks. We learn
from Mr Lofft's note that Mrs L, and Nancy are returnd, and I
therefore hope that you will go there perhaps before you write again. I think
you would like to see old Thetford, and hope you will make a point of going up
the 'Danish mounds of partial green'. [1] I wish
particularly that you would let us have a letter every Friday in future, and I
shall look out for it accordingly. Your Uncle George in a note with the parcel said that 'the woman of
the house where she resides is a Rum one, loves the Bottle,
and is afflicted with the meagrims.' So you must be on your
guard and not mind every trifle that occurs. I suppose young George will be home
to London by the time you get this. Dont you really believe that Fakenham Wood
is larger than ours at Hornsey? I wish Jonas may please himself with a tune to
my Song, and that you may be able to sing it at Troston. When does Bury Fair begin? try to inform us
in your next. Our Chickens grow surprizingly and I have made a revolution as to
their appartments which has render'd them dry and handier to feed, I have taken
away the whole of the large Coop and both the small ones, and built them one
over the other on each side of the wash-house door, and cover'd with laths the
duck-yard from end to end for the Hens, so they have more room as well as being
shelterd. The whole appears now something in this way. [Drawing of hen house on
the page with text of the letter incorporated around it]
Do if possible learn what is expected for the Dish and pay for
it. The picture I should like home if they seem willing to part with it. Your Aunt Charlotte and
Nurse, and Cousin Betsy
had tea with us on Tuesday, they are all well. Old Robbin Nair was calld 'old
Robbin' at least thirty years ago. He was once a Soldier and served in the West
Indies. If John Nash is living he is a very civil old man, and was one of the
harvest-men when I was a boy, you would like to talk with him, and he would like it. Dont you now see the great pleasure and
advantage of being able to draw, (I don't mean you to look at my specimen) for
if you could as expiditiously as Mrs
Baker pop all the Barns and Stables in your pocket what a prize it
would be to last during the winter evenings! I wish you to give us a hint as to
what young Isaac is about,
and where he is.—
And now for more home news. Mary of course cannot
write untill I send a parcell which I will do next time in reply to yours which
I expect on tomorrow week. Robert talks without ceasing. I have got a load of good manure into
the Garden, perhaps Mr G will wonder at the price which is Twelve Shillings.
Mary Binley when she heard that we had a parcell, and that you had not written
to her replied 'you mind and tell your Father to blow her up'. I am sorry to say
that he is not at all cured, he roil'd me last night, that I was very hard set
to keep quiet with him, Another dream! and a kind of percevering hopes that I
know not what to do with. I know your present determination, and whenever you
return I will stick by you like a Leech, but I think it probable that before
that time I shall have a talk with him which will be very unsavory to us both.
For myself I have had some horrid nights, and am this morning very indifferent
indeed. Your Mother is
midling, and Mary is
chearful and willing. Tomorrow is Charles's birthday and they all think of you by turns. If you would
like a bit of domestic information, a picture of matrimony, I have to inform you
that our Neighbour behind the wainscot has discovered that his wife has been
noodling him, and running him in debt, and the consequence is, that she is out
of his house, and he has advertized that he will pay no debts that she may
contract. I have room left to wish you every blessing that belongs to affection
and truth, and Am
Once more your Affectionate Father
Rob Bloomfield