Arthur Dixon letters
Archive: SDK Sydney Decimus Kitson Archive
Reference Number: SDK/1/3/1/1
Page: 36 recto
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Description
Letter of Arthur Dixon to John Joseph Cotman, 15 November 1834
Dixon is not surprised to learn that JJC is unwell: only this could have prevented JJC's writing to him. The recent warm weather must have lowered his spirits. In his previous letter (8 November), Dixon refrained from mentioning the lack of a letter from JJC, but in future he will not hesitate to do so. He advises JJC to leave the works that he finds discouraging, and instead to draw some portrait heads, which will be useful for the ladies when he comes to Norwich. He asks if JJC received the portrait that he sent via Freeman (see fol. 15r). He wishes JJC had given him more information about his state of mind. He has sent to JJC a letter from Dixon's brother John. He asks if JJC knows 'old Roper'.
Date: 1834
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Transcription
[Note added in pencil by Kitson:
JJC's health
John Dixon
16
]Norwich Nov 15 1834
I received yours my dearest Friend last evening. I expected as much, else what should have prevented your fulfilling your promise to write a letter to me! What else could make you leave my very very long ones unnoticed, what else could prevent your responding to my gratulations & hopes & anticipations regarding your coming & your well doing here & elsewhere when you are come? – I feared this my dear John, yet hope & think it may be over now. – I imagined no less insuperable cause would have stood in the way to suspend the interchange of communication between yourself and a friend here whose kindness towards you I knew should always have passed him free of the pain of supposed neglect, and it has grieved me when I could impute to no other cause than my dear Boys misery & wretchedness, that the request which I had ventured on had not been followed by a renewal of that intercourse which I hope & trust is so very valuable and desirable to you. – This is a very blue devilly month and we have had some very warm days which is exceedingly inimical to your wellbeing. Can you not get a walk out between four & five now, the skies are so fine. I have always observed that as soon as the weather gets colder you are better in spirits
