Letter from Dinah Mulock Craik to Benjamin Mulock, 20 September 1861.

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                <title> Letter from <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DMC">Dinah Mulock
                        Craik</persName> to <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockBen">Benjamin
                        Mulock</persName>, <date when="1862-09-20">20 September 1861.</date></title>
                <author ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DMC">Dinah Mulock Craik</author>
                <editor ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#BourrierKaren">Karen Bourrier</editor>
                <sponsor>
                    <orgName>Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive</orgName>
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                <sponsor>University of Calgary</sponsor>
                <principal ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#BourrierKaren">Karen Bourrier</principal>
                <respStmt>
                    <resp>Transcription <date when="2016-06">June 2016</date> by</resp>
                    <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ParkerJanice">Janice Parker</persName>
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                <edition> First digital edition in TEI, date: <date when="2016-08">August
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                <date>2016</date>
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                    <head>Letter from <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DMC">Dinah Mulock
                            Craik</persName> to <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockBen"
                            >Benjamin Mulock</persName>, <date when="1862-09-20">20 September
                            1861.</date>
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                        <p>This letter is missing its final pages.</p>
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                            <note>Box 1, Folder 8</note>
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                    manuscript. Craik’s spelling, punctuation, underlining, superscripts,
                    abbreviations, additions and deletions are retained, except for words which are
                    hyphenated at the end of a line, which we have silently emended. Where Craik
                    uses a non-standard spelling, we have encoded both her spelling and the standard
                    Oxford English Dictionary spelling to faciliate searching. The long s is not
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                <opener>
                    <dateline><date>Monday</date>
                        <date when="1862-09-20"><choice>
                                <abbr>Sep</abbr>
                                <expan>September</expan>
                            </choice> 20</date></dateline>
                    <salute>My dearest boy</salute>
                </opener>
                <p>I expected the French mail in today – but as it has not come I begin my letter.
                    Last one was I fear a total disappointment to you – a short letter – no news of
                        <title corresp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Ogilvies">the Ogilvies</title> &amp; no
                    magazines. The parcel was sent to <unclear>GS</unclear> too late. – however you
                    rarely get these disasters – &amp; much put up with them for once. It is not
                    likely to happen again. – About the <title corresp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Ogilvies"
                        >Ogilvies</title>, she has misdirected her letter – it reached me afterwards
                    with a message to you, that she had had three happy days with <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsAllen">Mrs. A Allen</persName> – so your helping
                    her to make up her mind was all right. <del rend="strikethrough">I wrote</del>
                    her again saying when I would be home &amp; inviting her &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MissHorne">Miss <unclear>Horne</unclear></persName>
                    to <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Wildwood">Wildwood</placeName> next day –
                    but they left for the <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#IsleofWight">Isle of
                        Wight</placeName> the day before – so for 3 weeks longer the grand meeting
                    is deferred. – Then she has promised to come – &amp; bring the watch she has
                    sent the <choice>
                        <abbr>Phos</abbr>
                        <expan>Photos</expan>
                    </choice> – which are perfectly lovely – I never see any finer anywhere. I was
                    looking at some in the old <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Liverpool"
                        >Liverpool</placeName> shop-windows – yours are just as fine. You will see
                    when you come to contrast them with English <choice>
                        <abbr>Phos</abbr>
                        <expan>Photos</expan>
                    </choice> how amazingly you have improved since you went out. I think some of
                    those with water are as good as <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MacphersonRobert">Macpherson's</persName> Roman ones
                        <anchor xml:id="n1"/> that everybody praises so – real works of art. There
                    can be no doubt you the lead henceforth as a photographer – &amp; be able to
                    make your own terms – &amp; earn <measure type="currency">£500</measure> a year
                    – or much more. – You are a prosperous young man now – you are never likely to
                    be “hard” up again. – The <unclear>Aloe</unclear>
                    <!--KF: This could also say "Olive." The house being the house where she lived 1849-50 when writing those two books.-->
                    – &amp; the <title corresp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Ogilvies">Ogilvies</title> house
                    – &amp; the bridge where you walked across the girders at night – strike me as
                    about the best – except the <unclear>Consulado</unclear> where the architecture
                    comes out wonderful – I have had so few <choice>
                        <abbr>Phos</abbr>
                        <expan>Photos</expan>
                    </choice> lately that these quite startled me by the improvement in them – if
                        <rs type="person" ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DomPedroII">the Emperor</rs>’s
                        <anchor xml:id="n2"/> are as good – you certainly ought to get a diamond
                    ring. – You will certainly now keep up the family glory – &amp; I may retire
                    mildly into a corner which is what I always wanted to do. – About <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockThomas">papa</persName> – He wrote me letter
                    after letter to <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Liverpool"
                        >Liverpool</placeName> – &amp; finally took new lodgings in <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Stafford">Stafford</placeName> – having borrowed as
                    I told you from the warder of the jail – He refused me his address &amp; forbade
                    my coming to see him but I got the address from <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#FulfordWilliam">Major Fulford</persName> &amp; went.
                    There I found him in most thriving condition – good lodgings – well-dressed –
                    looking about 60 only – &amp; talking like anything – Really quite splendacious.
                    He was pleased at my coming – forgot all his wrath – &amp; treated me politely
                    as a literary character – He fancies he has been offered by Government a pension
                    – at all costs he had applied for it &amp; believed it is sure &amp; he is very
                    grand accordingly – of course nothing will come of it – &amp; he will get into
                    debt in the strength of it. – But nothing can be done – At all events he is
                    comfortable now – &amp; with the shirts &amp; the new clothes looks exceedingly
                    gentlemanly &amp; venerable – quite like a papa in a play. He is deaf rather –
                    but that is the only sign of age about him. – He sent you a book which will come
                    in next parcel. – I heard in Liverpool that he had said he &amp; I were away to
                        <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Ireland">Ireland</placeName> – &amp;
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#FulfordWilliam">Major Fulford</persName>,
                    who had come in to see me &amp; was civil – informed me he was glad to hear
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockThomas">papa</persName> &amp; I were
                    going together to winter in <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Italy"
                        >Italy</placeName> &amp; be at the opening of <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrSankey">Mr. Sankey's</persName> railway! –
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockThomas">Papa</persName>’s
                    “imaginations” are something enormous. – Oh <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockBen">Ben</persName> if you had been the least
                    like your father in anything but your love of wandering – which you are not – I
                    do think I should have gone clean mad. – and rather than see one of your
                    children the least like him I think I would put it in the water-butt <anchor
                        xml:id="n3"/>– Yet anybody more entirely agreeable &amp; gentlemanly than he
                    is still – could not be. – He beats every old gentlemen I know. – </p>
                <p>I went to see the <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Reade">Reades</orgName> –
                        <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Longfield">Longfield</placeName> is two
                    charming houses – so tastefully built &amp; furnished – such capital gardens. –
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ReadeWilliam">Mr. Reade</persName> is laid
                    up with rheumatism – will never work again - &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ReadeThomasMellard">Tom</persName> &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LeeWilliam">Will</persName> keep the house between
                    them. <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xm#ReadeThomasMellard">Tom</persName> is
                    thriving in his profession – earned <measure type="currency">£400</measure> the
                        1<hi rend="superscript"><hi rend="underline">st</hi></hi> year – yet he got
                    in a state of mind about keeping his father. <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LeeWilliam">Will</persName> who only gets his salary
                    of <measure type="currency">£120</measure> insisted on paying his equal half –
                    said he’d want anything but he’d pay as much as <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ReadeThomasMellard">Tom</persName> did – good honest
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LeeWilliam">Will</persName>. – He comes
                    home every night – devotes himself to his patients – the garden - &amp; little
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LeeMuriel">Muriel</persName> – but
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ReadeThomasMellard">Tom</persName> is not
                    quite so steady-going. However, they all seem very comfortable – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ReadeElizabeth">Lizzie</persName> &amp; her husband
                    specially happy - &amp; the baby so pretty – There is a likeness of you in every
                    room - &amp; they have taught <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LeeMuriel"
                        >Muriel</persName> to jump at it - &amp; “Kiss Uncle <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockBen">Ben</persName>” – which she does
                        <unclear>with</unclear> great unction. She is an <unclear>uncommon</unclear>
                    nice baby, </p>
                <p>[This point marks a page break between pages 2 and 3. It is unclear whether these
                    pages connect or if there are pages missing between them.]</p>
                <p>very like aunt. <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ReadeElizabeth" cert="medium"
                        >Lizzie</persName><!-- JP: Emma was Dinah's cousin, who left her money in 1860. I'm not sure if this Lizzie is cousin Elizabeth (Reade) Lee or cousin Elizabeth (Mellard) Newall, Emma's sister. -->
                    <!-- KF: In this letter and in others, Dinah refers to her cousin Elizabeth (Reade) Lee as "Lizzie." It seems unlikely that she would mention a different Lizzie without diferentiating between the two. I have coded this element with a certainty attribute. -->
                    has had her legacy from <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ParkerEmma"
                        >Emma</persName> &amp; I received mine also yesterday <measure
                        type="currency">£ 960</measure>. – My week with <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MottAlbert">Albert</persName> &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MottClara">Clara</persName> was very nice – we had
                    quite a lively time – visitors almost every evening &amp; tremendous
                        <unclear>talking</unclear> – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#BestWilliamThomas">Best</persName>
                    <anchor xml:id="n4"/> twice – the organ &amp; <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#StGeorgesHall">Hall</placeName> as lovely as ever.
                    It was so strange to go about the old place – I would have gone to <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#BootlecumLinacre">Linacre</placeName> – but had not
                    time – I have always a kindly feeling to <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Liverpool">Liverpool</placeName> – it was on the
                    whole as peaceful &amp; happy a year as ever I had in my life.</p>
                <p>I went one day to <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#NewBrighton">New
                        Brighton</placeName> to see <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsMott">Mrs.
                        Mott</persName> – &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DowieAnnie">Annie
                        Dowie – née Chambers</persName> – it was close by the <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#NewBrighton">New Brighton</placeName> light which we
                    used to watch between <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Walton"
                        >Walton</placeName> &amp; <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#BootlecumLinacre">Linacre</placeName>. <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MottAlbert">Albert</persName> &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MottClara">Clara</persName> are not a bit changed –
                    except that she is stronger brighter, &amp; more managing like in the house. We
                    used to talk often about you – they have just the old feeling towards you &amp;
                    are looking forward to seeing to again when you come home. – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#TaylorAlfred">Alfred Taylor </persName> has got to
                    be surveyor at <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Waterloo">Waterloo</placeName>
                    – Where <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ReadeThomasMellard">Tom
                        Reade</persName> goes to see him &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsAlfred">Mrs. Alfred</persName> &amp; the baby are
                    in a sort of rivalry with <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ReadeElizabeth"
                        >Lizzie</persName> &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LeeMuriel"
                        >Muriel</persName>. – <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Greg"
                        >Greg</persName> &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Sophia"
                        >Sophia</persName> have two children to <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MottClara">Clara's</persName> four. <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DowieAnnie">Annie Dowie</persName> has three. So
                    there’s no likelihood of <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Liverpool"
                        >Liverpool</placeName> being unpopulated. <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsStewartAndrew">Mrs. Andrew Stewart</persName> has
                    also another baby – indeed the lot of new babies I had to admire was something
                    quite alarming. <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsLovellWilliam">Mrs. William
                        Lovell</persName> is expecting No 3 &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellWilliam">William</persName> has got <measure
                        type="currency">£200</measure> a year additional – which is as well. – I was
                    over there today – &amp; also at <placeName ref="#UpperTerraceLodge">Upper
                        Terrace Lodge</placeName> – but <persName ref="#MissJames">Marian</persName>
                    is away to <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Sydney">Sydney</placeName> &amp;
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MissCoates">Emily</persName>: – till the
                    month’s end. The <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Dobell">Dobells</orgName> are,
                    I told you – at <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Aberystwyth"><choice>
                            <sic>Aberystwith</sic>
                            <reg resp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#FukushimaKailey">Aberystwyth</reg>
                        </choice></placeName>. <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DobellNora"
                        >Nora</persName> has got better – &amp; they are all enjoying themselves
                    very much. They go home the end of the month – &amp; then <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikGeorge">George Craik</persName> pays them a
                    visit – He &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikJames">Dr.</persName>
                    &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikMargaret">Mrs. Craik</persName>
                    have been with me a few days here – en route to <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Bristol">Bristol</placeName> – His leg is still
                    unhealed &amp; he goes upon crutches – &amp; the railway have refused him all
                    compensation but he bears all as brave &amp; firm as a rock. – I think my
                    intense respect for <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikGeorge">George
                        Craik</persName> is something quite inexpressible – I do believe if he could
                    cut himself up into little pieces for my sake he would do it – which isn’t
                    always the feeling of people one has done things for – generally very much
                    t'other – Nor is it always the result of people living constantly together for
                    nearly nine months – &amp; consequently finding out all one another’s weak
                    points. They certainly are a most capital family – but the best of them all as
                    they themselves agree, is <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikGeorge"
                        >George</persName>. They are going to see the <orgName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockAunts">Aunts</orgName> at <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Bath">Bath</placeName>, as I told you – the <orgName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockAunts">Aunts</orgName> having a special
                    reverence for <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikHenry">Henry
                        Craik</persName> the uncle – and now I must stop – happy for tomorrow’s
                    letter – </p>
                <p>– <date>Friday</date>. My letter came – as sure as clockwork – but I am terribly
                    sorry about your ankle. I am sure though you complain so little that is must be
                    very bad – &amp; a sprain is a most serious business. I wish I was with you – my
                    poor boy – it’s awful to be lame with so much to do – and you who hate sitting
                    still – I am much afraid you will try to walk too soon – Don’t. – Better tie it
                    up entirely &amp; take to crutches – you don’t know how easily one learns to get
                    about on crutches – for a whole month – or two even – than run the risk of years
                    of lameness – Remember <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsMulock">Mama’s
                    </persName> three years. – &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrWarren">Mr.
                        Warren</persName> of <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MoorPark">Moor
                        Park</placeName> who had about 5 years of it. Don’t play any tricks – it’s a
                    serious risk – I hope that <unclear>agree</unclear> is not serious – but there’s
                    no doubt the sooner you get away from the Tropics the better – however a little
                    time may settle that – I am more vexed than ever about your missed magazines –
                    however I have been trying to get them out by the French Mail. If nothing
                    results it is not for want of trying. And I shall now be steadily at home. I
                    think every time I leave it I get more attached to <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Wildwood">Wildwood</placeName> – and more disposed
                    to stick at it. I pity your packing up &amp; flitting – whatever all you do. I
                    hope </p>
                <p>[The remaining pages of this letter are missing.]</p>
            </div>
        </body>
        <back>
            <div type="notes">
                <note target="#n1" resp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ParkerJanice">English photographer
                    Robert Macpherson (1814–72) was celebrated for his photographs of Rome.
                    ODNB.</note>
                <note target="#n2" resp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ParkerJanice">In 1869, Benjamin Mulock
                    presented Pedro II, the Emperor of Brazil, with an album of his photographs of
                    Bahia. Hannavy, John. 2008. Encyclopedia of nineteenth-century photography. New
                    York: Routledge. The Emperor donated his vast photography collection to the
                    National Library of Brazil in 1891.</note>
                <note target="#n3" resp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ParkerJanice">A water-butt is "a large
                    barrel or similarly-shaped container used to collect and store rainwater." OED. </note>
                <note target="#n4" resp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ParkerJanice">This likely refers to
                    William Thomas Best, the organist at St. George's Hall, Liverpool. Best gave
                    three recitals weekly. ODNB.</note>
            </div>
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</TEI>
Letter from Dinah Mulock Craik to Benjamin Mulock, 20 September 1861. Dinah Mulock Craik Karen Bourrier Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive University of Calgary Karen Bourrier Transcription June 2016 by Janice Parker Proofing of Transcription August 2016 by Kailey Fukushima TEI encoding 2 July 2016 by Janice Parker Proofing of TEI encoding August 2016 by Kailey Fukushima First digital edition in TEI, date: August 2016. P5. Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive Calgary, Alberta, Canada 2016

Reproduced by courtesy of the University of California at Los Angeles.

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive University of California at Los Angeles Charles E. Young Research Library Mulock Family Papers 846 Letter from Dinah Mulock Craik to Benjamin Mulock, 20 September 1861.

This letter is missing its final pages.

Box 1, Folder 8

Our aim in this edition has been to transcribe the content of the letters as accurately as possible without reproducing the physical appearance of the manuscript. Craik’s spelling, punctuation, underlining, superscripts, abbreviations, additions and deletions are retained, except for words which are hyphenated at the end of a line, which we have silently emended. Where Craik uses a non-standard spelling, we have encoded both her spelling and the standard Oxford English Dictionary spelling to faciliate searching. The long s is not encoded.

Monday Sep September 20 My dearest boy

I expected the French mail in today – but as it has not come I begin my letter. Last one was I fear a total disappointment to you – a short letter – no news of the Ogilvies & no magazines. The parcel was sent to GS too late. – however you rarely get these disasters – & much put up with them for once. It is not likely to happen again. – About the Ogilvies, she has misdirected her letter – it reached me afterwards with a message to you, that she had had three happy days with Mrs. A Allen – so your helping her to make up her mind was all right. I wrote her again saying when I would be home & inviting her & Miss Horne to Wildwood next day – but they left for the Isle of Wight the day before – so for 3 weeks longer the grand meeting is deferred. – Then she has promised to come – & bring the watch she has sent the Phos Photos – which are perfectly lovely – I never see any finer anywhere. I was looking at some in the old Liverpool shop-windows – yours are just as fine. You will see when you come to contrast them with English Phos Photos how amazingly you have improved since you went out. I think some of those with water are as good as Macpherson's Roman ones that everybody praises so – real works of art. There can be no doubt you the lead henceforth as a photographer – & be able to make your own terms – & earn £500 a year – or much more. – You are a prosperous young man now – you are never likely to be “hard” up again. – The Aloe – & the Ogilvies house – & the bridge where you walked across the girders at night – strike me as about the best – except the Consulado where the architecture comes out wonderful – I have had so few Phos Photos lately that these quite startled me by the improvement in them – if the Emperor’s are as good – you certainly ought to get a diamond ring. – You will certainly now keep up the family glory – & I may retire mildly into a corner which is what I always wanted to do. – About papa – He wrote me letter after letter to Liverpool – & finally took new lodgings in Stafford – having borrowed as I told you from the warder of the jail – He refused me his address & forbade my coming to see him but I got the address from Major Fulford & went. There I found him in most thriving condition – good lodgings – well-dressed – looking about 60 only – & talking like anything – Really quite splendacious. He was pleased at my coming – forgot all his wrath – & treated me politely as a literary character – He fancies he has been offered by Government a pension – at all costs he had applied for it & believed it is sure & he is very grand accordingly – of course nothing will come of it – & he will get into debt in the strength of it. – But nothing can be done – At all events he is comfortable now – & with the shirts & the new clothes looks exceedingly gentlemanly & venerable – quite like a papa in a play. He is deaf rather – but that is the only sign of age about him. – He sent you a book which will come in next parcel. – I heard in Liverpool that he had said he & I were away to Ireland – & Major Fulford, who had come in to see me & was civil – informed me he was glad to hear papa & I were going together to winter in Italy & be at the opening of Mr. Sankey's railway! – Papa’s “imaginations” are something enormous. – Oh Ben if you had been the least like your father in anything but your love of wandering – which you are not – I do think I should have gone clean mad. – and rather than see one of your children the least like him I think I would put it in the water-butt – Yet anybody more entirely agreeable & gentlemanly than he is still – could not be. – He beats every old gentlemen I know. –

I went to see the ReadesLongfield is two charming houses – so tastefully built & furnished – such capital gardens. – Mr. Reade is laid up with rheumatism – will never work again - & Tom & Will keep the house between them. Tom is thriving in his profession – earned £400 the 1 st year – yet he got in a state of mind about keeping his father. Will who only gets his salary of £120 insisted on paying his equal half – said he’d want anything but he’d pay as much as Tom did – good honest Will. – He comes home every night – devotes himself to his patients – the garden - & little Muriel – but Tom is not quite so steady-going. However, they all seem very comfortable – Lizzie & her husband specially happy - & the baby so pretty – There is a likeness of you in every room - & they have taught Muriel to jump at it - & “Kiss Uncle Ben” – which she does with great unction. She is an uncommon nice baby,

[This point marks a page break between pages 2 and 3. It is unclear whether these pages connect or if there are pages missing between them.]

very like aunt. Lizzie has had her legacy from Emma & I received mine also yesterday £ 960. – My week with Albert & Clara was very nice – we had quite a lively time – visitors almost every evening & tremendous talkingBest twice – the organ & Hall as lovely as ever. It was so strange to go about the old place – I would have gone to Linacre – but had not time – I have always a kindly feeling to Liverpool – it was on the whole as peaceful & happy a year as ever I had in my life.

I went one day to New Brighton to see Mrs. Mott – & Annie Dowie – née Chambers – it was close by the New Brighton light which we used to watch between Walton & Linacre. Albert & Clara are not a bit changed – except that she is stronger brighter, & more managing like in the house. We used to talk often about you – they have just the old feeling towards you & are looking forward to seeing to again when you come home. – Alfred Taylor has got to be surveyor at Waterloo – Where Tom Reade goes to see him & Mrs. Alfred & the baby are in a sort of rivalry with Lizzie & Muriel. – Greg & Sophia have two children to Clara's four. Annie Dowie has three. So there’s no likelihood of Liverpool being unpopulated. Mrs. Andrew Stewart has also another baby – indeed the lot of new babies I had to admire was something quite alarming. Mrs. William Lovell is expecting No 3 & William has got £200 a year additional – which is as well. – I was over there today – & also at Upper Terrace Lodge – but Marian is away to Sydney & Emily: – till the month’s end. The Dobells are, I told you – at Aberystwith Aberystwyth . Nora has got better – & they are all enjoying themselves very much. They go home the end of the month – & then George Craik pays them a visit – He & Dr. & Mrs. Craik have been with me a few days here – en route to Bristol – His leg is still unhealed & he goes upon crutches – & the railway have refused him all compensation but he bears all as brave & firm as a rock. – I think my intense respect for George Craik is something quite inexpressible – I do believe if he could cut himself up into little pieces for my sake he would do it – which isn’t always the feeling of people one has done things for – generally very much t'other – Nor is it always the result of people living constantly together for nearly nine months – & consequently finding out all one another’s weak points. They certainly are a most capital family – but the best of them all as they themselves agree, is George. They are going to see the Aunts at Bath, as I told you – the Aunts having a special reverence for Henry Craik the uncle – and now I must stop – happy for tomorrow’s letter –

Friday. My letter came – as sure as clockwork – but I am terribly sorry about your ankle. I am sure though you complain so little that is must be very bad – & a sprain is a most serious business. I wish I was with you – my poor boy – it’s awful to be lame with so much to do – and you who hate sitting still – I am much afraid you will try to walk too soon – Don’t. – Better tie it up entirely & take to crutches – you don’t know how easily one learns to get about on crutches – for a whole month – or two even – than run the risk of years of lameness – Remember Mama’s three years. – & Mr. Warren of Moor Park who had about 5 years of it. Don’t play any tricks – it’s a serious risk – I hope that agree is not serious – but there’s no doubt the sooner you get away from the Tropics the better – however a little time may settle that – I am more vexed than ever about your missed magazines – however I have been trying to get them out by the French Mail. If nothing results it is not for want of trying. And I shall now be steadily at home. I think every time I leave it I get more attached to Wildwood – and more disposed to stick at it. I pity your packing up & flitting – whatever all you do. I hope

[The remaining pages of this letter are missing.]

1 English photographer Robert Macpherson (1814–72) was celebrated for his photographs of Rome. ODNB. 2 In 1869, Benjamin Mulock presented Pedro II, the Emperor of Brazil, with an album of his photographs of Bahia. Hannavy, John. 2008. Encyclopedia of nineteenth-century photography. New York: Routledge. The Emperor donated his vast photography collection to the National Library of Brazil in 1891. 3 A water-butt is "a large barrel or similarly-shaped container used to collect and store rainwater." OED. 4 This likely refers to William Thomas Best, the organist at St. George's Hall, Liverpool. Best gave three recitals weekly. ODNB.

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Letter from Dinah Mulock Craik to Benjamin Mulock, 20 September 1861. Dinah Mulock Craik Karen Bourrier Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive University of Calgary Karen Bourrier Transcription June 2016 by Janice Parker Proofing of Transcription August 2016 by Kailey Fukushima TEI encoding 2 July 2016 by Janice Parker Proofing of TEI encoding August 2016 by Kailey Fukushima First digital edition in TEI, date: August 2016. P5. Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive Calgary, Alberta, Canada 2016

Reproduced by courtesy of the University of California at Los Angeles.

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive University of California at Los Angeles Charles E. Young Research Library Mulock Family Papers 846 Letter from Dinah Mulock Craik to Benjamin Mulock, 20 September 1861.

This letter is missing its final pages.

Box 1, Folder 8

Our aim in this edition has been to transcribe the content of the letters as accurately as possible without reproducing the physical appearance of the manuscript. Craik’s spelling, punctuation, underlining, superscripts, abbreviations, additions and deletions are retained, except for words which are hyphenated at the end of a line, which we have silently emended. Where Craik uses a non-standard spelling, we have encoded both her spelling and the standard Oxford English Dictionary spelling to faciliate searching. The long s is not encoded.

Monday Sep September 20 My dearest boy

I expected the French mail in today – but as it has not come I begin my letter. Last one was I fear a total disappointment to you – a short letter – no news of the Ogilvies & no magazines. The parcel was sent to GS too late. – however you rarely get these disasters – & much put up with them for once. It is not likely to happen again. – About the Ogilvies, she has misdirected her letter – it reached me afterwards with a message to you, that she had had three happy days with Mrs. A Allen – so your helping her to make up her mind was all right. I wrote her again saying when I would be home & inviting her & Miss Horne to Wildwood next day – but they left for the Isle of Wight the day before – so for 3 weeks longer the grand meeting is deferred. – Then she has promised to come – & bring the watch she has sent the Phos Photos – which are perfectly lovely – I never see any finer anywhere. I was looking at some in the old Liverpool shop-windows – yours are just as fine. You will see when you come to contrast them with English Phos Photos how amazingly you have improved since you went out. I think some of those with water are as good as Macpherson's Roman ones that everybody praises so – real works of art. There can be no doubt you the lead henceforth as a photographer – & be able to make your own terms – & earn £500 a year – or much more. – You are a prosperous young man now – you are never likely to be “hard” up again. – The Aloe – & the Ogilvies house – & the bridge where you walked across the girders at night – strike me as about the best – except the Consulado where the architecture comes out wonderful – I have had so few Phos Photos lately that these quite startled me by the improvement in them – if the Emperor’s are as good – you certainly ought to get a diamond ring. – You will certainly now keep up the family glory – & I may retire mildly into a corner which is what I always wanted to do. – About papa – He wrote me letter after letter to Liverpool – & finally took new lodgings in Stafford – having borrowed as I told you from the warder of the jail – He refused me his address & forbade my coming to see him but I got the address from Major Fulford & went. There I found him in most thriving condition – good lodgings – well-dressed – looking about 60 only – & talking like anything – Really quite splendacious. He was pleased at my coming – forgot all his wrath – & treated me politely as a literary character – He fancies he has been offered by Government a pension – at all costs he had applied for it & believed it is sure & he is very grand accordingly – of course nothing will come of it – & he will get into debt in the strength of it. – But nothing can be done – At all events he is comfortable now – & with the shirts & the new clothes looks exceedingly gentlemanly & venerable – quite like a papa in a play. He is deaf rather – but that is the only sign of age about him. – He sent you a book which will come in next parcel. – I heard in Liverpool that he had said he & I were away to Ireland – & Major Fulford, who had come in to see me & was civil – informed me he was glad to hear papa & I were going together to winter in Italy & be at the opening of Mr. Sankey's railway! – Papa’s “imaginations” are something enormous. – Oh Ben if you had been the least like your father in anything but your love of wandering – which you are not – I do think I should have gone clean mad. – and rather than see one of your children the least like him I think I would put it in the water-butt – Yet anybody more entirely agreeable & gentlemanly than he is still – could not be. – He beats every old gentlemen I know. –

I went to see the ReadesLongfield is two charming houses – so tastefully built & furnished – such capital gardens. – Mr. Reade is laid up with rheumatism – will never work again - & Tom & Will keep the house between them. Tom is thriving in his profession – earned £400 the 1 st year – yet he got in a state of mind about keeping his father. Will who only gets his salary of £120 insisted on paying his equal half – said he’d want anything but he’d pay as much as Tom did – good honest Will. – He comes home every night – devotes himself to his patients – the garden - & little Muriel – but Tom is not quite so steady-going. However, they all seem very comfortable – Lizzie & her husband specially happy - & the baby so pretty – There is a likeness of you in every room - & they have taught Muriel to jump at it - & “Kiss Uncle Ben” – which she does with great unction. She is an uncommon nice baby,

[This point marks a page break between pages 2 and 3. It is unclear whether these pages connect or if there are pages missing between them.]

very like aunt. Lizzie has had her legacy from Emma & I received mine also yesterday £ 960. – My week with Albert & Clara was very nice – we had quite a lively time – visitors almost every evening & tremendous talkingBest twice – the organ & Hall as lovely as ever. It was so strange to go about the old place – I would have gone to Linacre – but had not time – I have always a kindly feeling to Liverpool – it was on the whole as peaceful & happy a year as ever I had in my life.

I went one day to New Brighton to see Mrs. Mott – & Annie Dowie – née Chambers – it was close by the New Brighton light which we used to watch between Walton & Linacre. Albert & Clara are not a bit changed – except that she is stronger brighter, & more managing like in the house. We used to talk often about you – they have just the old feeling towards you & are looking forward to seeing to again when you come home. – Alfred Taylor has got to be surveyor at Waterloo – Where Tom Reade goes to see him & Mrs. Alfred & the baby are in a sort of rivalry with Lizzie & Muriel. – Greg & Sophia have two children to Clara's four. Annie Dowie has three. So there’s no likelihood of Liverpool being unpopulated. Mrs. Andrew Stewart has also another baby – indeed the lot of new babies I had to admire was something quite alarming. Mrs. William Lovell is expecting No 3 & William has got £200 a year additional – which is as well. – I was over there today – & also at Upper Terrace Lodge – but Marian is away to Sydney & Emily: – till the month’s end. The Dobells are, I told you – at Aberystwith Aberystwyth . Nora has got better – & they are all enjoying themselves very much. They go home the end of the month – & then George Craik pays them a visit – He & Dr. & Mrs. Craik have been with me a few days here – en route to Bristol – His leg is still unhealed & he goes upon crutches – & the railway have refused him all compensation but he bears all as brave & firm as a rock. – I think my intense respect for George Craik is something quite inexpressible – I do believe if he could cut himself up into little pieces for my sake he would do it – which isn’t always the feeling of people one has done things for – generally very much t'other – Nor is it always the result of people living constantly together for nearly nine months – & consequently finding out all one another’s weak points. They certainly are a most capital family – but the best of them all as they themselves agree, is George. They are going to see the Aunts at Bath, as I told you – the Aunts having a special reverence for Henry Craik the uncle – and now I must stop – happy for tomorrow’s letter –

Friday. My letter came – as sure as clockwork – but I am terribly sorry about your ankle. I am sure though you complain so little that is must be very bad – & a sprain is a most serious business. I wish I was with you – my poor boy – it’s awful to be lame with so much to do – and you who hate sitting still – I am much afraid you will try to walk too soon – Don’t. – Better tie it up entirely & take to crutches – you don’t know how easily one learns to get about on crutches – for a whole month – or two even – than run the risk of years of lameness – Remember Mama’s three years. – & Mr. Warren of Moor Park who had about 5 years of it. Don’t play any tricks – it’s a serious risk – I hope that agree is not serious – but there’s no doubt the sooner you get away from the Tropics the better – however a little time may settle that – I am more vexed than ever about your missed magazines – however I have been trying to get them out by the French Mail. If nothing results it is not for want of trying. And I shall now be steadily at home. I think every time I leave it I get more attached to Wildwood – and more disposed to stick at it. I pity your packing up & flitting – whatever all you do. I hope

[The remaining pages of this letter are missing.]

English photographer Robert Macpherson (1814–72) was celebrated for his photographs of Rome. ODNB. In 1869, Benjamin Mulock presented Pedro II, the Emperor of Brazil, with an album of his photographs of Bahia. Hannavy, John. 2008. Encyclopedia of nineteenth-century photography. New York: Routledge. The Emperor donated his vast photography collection to the National Library of Brazil in 1891. A water-butt is "a large barrel or similarly-shaped container used to collect and store rainwater." OED. This likely refers to William Thomas Best, the organist at St. George's Hall, Liverpool. Best gave three recitals weekly. ODNB.