MS Westcountry Studies Library, Exeter/ 1862 /21
My dear Miss Smith,
Thank you much for sending me this letter, I will certainly write to Mrs Elphinstone about it – the last time I heard from her she had been excited by the account of the Needlewomen to get up a subscription on their behalf- with a vision of opening a branch in London. I referred this to Miss Batty and Miss Barlee.3 I am so glad the application of her money turned out so well. I am afraid you have not had your copy of the Biographies of Good Women, I ordered one to go to you, but it was so long before the book came out that I feared it had been forgotten only that I knew of others having been received which had been sent out at the same time, so pray let me know and I will cause one to be sent to you. I send the Temple paper, I wish I had been able to use it at once for the Prince Consort’s Death made all the difference to the expediency of putting it in, and I was thinking of asking you what you thought about it. As to the Maiden of our own day I have heard nothing of Miss Wilford for a long time, she told me it was to be published separately3 but I have not heard of its coming out.
I have not congratulated you all through this letter on your sister’s marriage partly because I think the last sister generally feels far too solitary to be thankful for congratulations and is rather glad to be excused it.4 I begin to see Rosamond’s punishment coming, but I think you are looking for Ethel to keep Elizabeth company in a change of mind.5 Do you know I once knew an offer of marriage made between the hero & heroine of two stories by different authors – the hero was Miss Jackson’s Fred, but I am sorry to say the overture came from the lady’s side
yours sincerely
C M Yonge