MS British Library Add MSS 54920: 192-193¹

Dear Mr Macmillan
I am glad to hear of your prosperous return and thank you much for having safely conveyed the parcel to Miss Lewis.²

I am much dismayed to find that what I have written for the Pupils of St John is insufficient. If I had only been told so when I sent in my MS, I should have been at home among my books and have had plenty of time and convenience for expanding it, but now when I am from home, only two months from Christmas, I do think it is hard to have the discovery suddenly made, when you know I had abridged it by Miss Martin’s special desire.

If I had known it in time, I could have thought out what expansions and additions to make. Now I hardly see what to do, for here I can do nothing and I do not get home till the 12th and then I have much to do, as well as having visitors in the house.

Can you pick /put\ any one else’s book first or give me another month? I can hardly fancy Miss Martin could have understood the time and trouble it costs to look up such a subject or she would have told me that this 150pp more was wanted at least six weeks ago. I am quite willing to give up a third of the sum I was to have for it, if you decide on publishing it as it is, or I will try to get it ready for the 1st of February, but I am too much interrupted here to be able to think how the enlargement is to be effected.

Will you kindly have the new no of the magazine sent to me here.

Yours sincerely
C M Yonge