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Otterbourne, Winchester
Novr 23d 1861

MS Westcountry Studies Library, Exeter/ Yonge 1861/14

My dear Miss Smith

I have not the letter, at least I do not believe I have but I am almost certain that it was to be the 4 couples at 2lb; and I think you may safely so apply it. I will wait a week to write to Mrs Elphinstone in case you should be able to tell me anything specially about any of the people.1

I do not know whether I forgot to finish my story or only put it stupidly, the point of it was the staring of the strangers at hearing such a grave polished man as Dr Harris proposing the worst street in Torr as an allurement to a lady. That Torr Churchyard is indeed a strangely mournful place, with all its records of early deaths among strangers and its graves so close together I wish we had more time to spend with the kind cousins there, but I was hurried away by having to meet Mrs Selwyn before her return to New Zealand, and I could not go to Cockington though I have a whole houseful of cousins and a godson there.2 I did once walk there from Livermead many years ago.

Masters’s corrections and criticisms amuse me very much – it was great fun to see how he presided over the Maiden of our own day. I wish you would have a good fight with him it would do him good

yours sincerely

C M Yonge

1Letters to Carter Smith dated 18 March, 3 July, 21 November 1861 and 3 April 1862 refer to a donation by a Mrs Elphinstone of money to be given to poor people in Ann Carter Smith's parish.
2The Mallock family of Cockington Court were connected to the Yonges and the Froudes; Livermead was a house at Torquay belonging to them
Cite this letter


The Letters of Charlotte Mary Yonge(1823-1901) edited by Charlotte Mitchell, Ellen Jordan and Helen Schinske.

URL to this Letter is: https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/yonge/1845/to-ann-maria-carter-smith-50

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