MS University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign: Letter 9.

My dear Mrs Blackburn,
I was very glad of a letter from you, it is so pleasant to keep up our intercourse that I am always wishing to invent some cause for writing. I wonder if I shall ever arrive at writing the Siege of Waspburg, it is a thing I cannot do till the spirit of wasps seizes me and I suppose it will do some time or other. Your birds must be delightful, except that I should fear that they would hardly put themselves into their best attitudes when in captivity. Julian wants to know what your woodcock ate in his cage. Are you doing them life size? It always seems as if drawings of birds were too large, I believe from our always seeing them when alive from a respectful distance which diminishes our idea of their proportions. Mrs /Maria Trench\ Wilson has some beautiful coloured drawings of birds (her own) which always puzzle me by looking – blackbirds as large as jackdaws and jackdaws as rooks, and yet they are really measured. The Wilsons have had a long time of great anxiety for their boy, beginning with measles at Eton leaving lung disorder, they took him abroad to Switzerland in the summer where he caught pleurisy and low fever /which last\ that has hung about him ever since – now at Bournemouth an abcess in the lungs giving way has given some hope in the midst of great fear of the future¹ – He is the most thoroughly noble boy I ever came across, more like one’s imagination of what boys should be in his high fearless spirit – Generally I think little boys till they come to some strength are great cowards, greater than their sisters, but even at the age when most are timid, he was full of courage ‘Ce garçon ne connait pas le peur’ even a Swiss dentist said of him at but six years old. I am taking it for granted that you care about them all this time through the Rogerses.² I like Mrs Paul’s child’s book³ better than her grown up ones, the Eton boys’ small airs are capital, but I think the relations of Eton boys will appreciate the story a great deal more than the ‘fellows’ themselves, who will be sure to call it “bosh” because it is a great deal too true. I wonder what is become of Tom Thumb, Constable told me I should have the account when the accounts were made up and thenceforth I have heard nothing at all so I conclude there is nothing to hear. My present amusement is making investigations after the history of Christian names in divers countries and very odd discoveries I have come upon, but I don’t know how to make out the many queer Scotch and Irish names that tend to the Gaelic. The sheaf of Greek names that Queen Margaret brought from Hungary are curious they have been so wide spread and enduring – they must have taken everyone’s fancy all at once. I have sent for Dr Carlyle’s life- It seems to be going the round of all the reviews where it will have its plums picked out. Pray read Dr Wolffs’ Autobiography, it is the funniest, and most striking book in some way I ever met with, and you will be divided between laughing and admiration, I fancy it just what would specially entertain you, and when you have done, I will send you his most characteristic chief likes & dislikes – his favourite occupation being preaching & favourite heroine Mause Headrigg⁴ I can quite see why – for she really was grand on the top of the wall, with the bullets flying about her when she would not ‘peace’ for any shred of earth though it be painted as red as a brick of Babylon and ca’ itself a Corporal!

I am glad you liked Hopes & Fears, and especially Mr Prendergast – Some people are so angry with that marriage, but chiefly the very young ones. My liberality has come for a review in the National Review, which thinks I am going on with the age and forsaking my principles- it is a fearfully Deistic spirit in which the Review is written, and quite makes one quake – all in the spirit of Essays & Reviews,⁵ and while discussing dogma utterly ignoring all the substantial truth and arguing as if no Bible existed. From muscular Christianity, the world seems to be drifting on to negative Christianity, which seems to me to be nothing at all.

Yours sincerely
C M Yonge