MS Westcountry Studies Library, Exeter/ Yonge 1860/9¹

My dear Miss Smith

I am glad I know you are at home that I may send you not lost but found. I have, as you desired me, taken great liberties with the correction. I think that what I have chiefly to observe is that you have here and there made it obscure by elliptical writing, and that you must beware of now which comes very often over, and I used, by my home critic, to be forbidden to use at all, unless I mean the real present. Take care too that all your sentences have a nominative case and a verb or they won’t parse. I am very glad to have managed space for this while the interest is still keen, for as you know I am very fond of it, though (or because) it goes to one’s heart.

I rejoice to hear that Once a Week has appreciated the Two Beauties, and I hope it will not be as tardy in bringing it out as the Monthly Packet too often is except on an emergency. We are just going to have a grand reading over of the Wynnes. We have enjoyed them thoroughly chapter by chapter, but I have a kind of dread that altogether they will want a central thread of story, though I own regarding them as friends. I am relieved that you did not kill the mother and make Barbara keep house as once I expected. I wish we saw more of Elizabeth whom I greatly like. I believe a story should either be brief or have a good stout backbone of interest or else people will complain that they don’t see where it is tending

yours sincerely

C M Yonge

I suppose you would not put ‘by the author of Aggesden Vicarage’ to this.

Please send it at once to Messrs Mozley, Friar Gate, Derby not back to me