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Elderfield, Otterbourne, Winchester.
Ash Wednesday [6 March 1867?]

MS Mrs Clare Roels

My dear Christabel,
I should not have been so ungrateful if I had not been laid up, first by being deluded into eating some Scallop fish that everybody else flourished upon, and then by a wicked chair, which cast its hind leg as I was sitting down on it, and strained my back – Not till lately have I had the energy to pack up the Answers and write to you. I shall be very thankful if you will steer the Barnacle boat for me and become its headquarters. If you would put in the list of rotation into the fly leaf of each number, perhaps you would digest it better than I do – for mine seems utterly unattended to. Have you ever heard of the new number, I sent a confirmation to Ladyfern about it of which she has taken no notice to me, and I further have set her Aunt at her. I think we must devise some other binder. The first eight are at Torquay, and I have desired Fern Seed to send them to you. It really will be a very great help if you will take the Barnacle branches off my hands. I suppose the MSS had better still come to me, and then I will send them to you, and you to that bad Ladyfern unless we turn her off. I am glad you & Mrs Coleridge thought as I did that the National Goosedom idea is wild and impracticable, and likely to come to nothing.1 I was not quite sure whether it was not my own old fashionedness, and so wanted to get some fresh opinion on it. They have had a little Gaggle at Torquay2 in imitation of yours

your affectionate
C M Yonge

1No doubt a scheme to expand the Gosling Society, as was eventually done with the Spider Society.
2Three Goslings, Emily Maconchy, Paulina Martyn and Frances Peard, lived in Torquay.

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/2150/to-christabel-rose-coleridge-9

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