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March 19th [1866]

MS British Library Add MSS 54920: 148-149

Dear Mr Macmillan,
I have been slow in answering you, but the fact is that I have been rather knocked down by a bad cold, and reduced to little more energy than is necessary to look over the sheets of the Dove. Indeed I am told to do as little as possible just now, and therefore I think I must lay aside that which I have hardly taken up the Sunday Library superintendence. I am sure that with my tone of principles, that the sort of responsibility would lead to questions & difficulty of conscience that would hurt my health. I have said something of the kind before, but you were so kind that I hardly knew how to refuse, and I hope still the scheme will go on, and that I may take all interest as an outsider, and a contributor. As a fact I am afraid you must accept it that I am too High Church and too narrow for work not of that exclusive character, except at the expense of some harrass – and that I find I am not equal to. The sort of doubt I have of Mr Plumptre’s1 tone is just a case in point, but I am not up to writing more at length today

Yours sincerely
C M Yonge

1Probably the Rev. Edward Hayes Plumptre (1821-1891), chaplain of King’s College London and a professor at Queen’s College, Harley Street. He was brother-in-law of F. D. Maurice and influenced by him, which would sufficiently account for CMY’s suspicions.

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/2108/to-alexander-macmillan-73

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