Copy outletter book British Library Add MSS. 55384 (2): P. 534

My dear Miss Yonge
It is most kind of you to take all my suggestions as you do. Indeed I do not want any one else to do the work unless you really find it distasteful to you – which I hope is not the case.

I am quite willing to wait your perfect convenience. I daresay ideas such as the ones I was fancying for the book, are not to be commanded, and it may be that because in ‘Golden Deeds’ you so fully realized an idea, I have been [illegible] on your kindness. But when we talked the matter over I fancied you sympathised with it so fully that I quite hoped I was giving you no serious trouble in asking you help me with your genius, to a realization of an idea, that had come to me, as it seemed to me wanting to be realized.

With regard to the idea you find easiest to work in I fancy that it would be almost too vague, and would be apt to spread itself out into large subjects, as I think is partly the case in the Ethnological chapter. Still it is evidently cognate to the one I had & I will gladly adopt your rendering of the idea, and I have no doubt that you will do what you can to let mine modify it. With regard to the Birth of Cain I do think it very touching that & surely something could be done with it.

The detailed suggestions which I had to make, and which you kindly ask for I put on the enclosed first sheet. I am not sure how far you will agree with me, but I think you will to some extent.

I did not mean – did you so understand me? – that you should introduce actual cradle songs. I meant it symbolically.

If I bore you altogether, pray say so. My main anxiety is that this should not take you off work on which you would work kindly and to more result.

Cawnpore is in the printers hands & you shall see a proof of it soon.

I am dear Miss Yonge
Yours very faithfully
A. Macmillan

Curiously enough Mrs Daniel Macmillan who has just been at Oxford found a book with almost our title, but different in conception form, and as appears to me, poor in treatment. But it might be thought a plagiarism. We will have to change our title. Have you any to suggest.