MS UCLA collection 100 box 119/12
Dear Miss Yonge,
I hope to send you in a day or two a small book I have written about travels in Iceland which were made by me chiefly on the track of various old Sagas, in which I was greatly interested. The book indeed treats of the country from the point of view of its literature. I need not say how pleased I should be if my old friend the ‘Monthly Packet’ liked it enough to give it a few friendly words, though I observe now that it is usually the ‘Spider’ who brings ‘Arachne’ their gatherings to discuss, whence I gather that Arachne has little time for reading new books.2
As a Scotchwoman, let me say how excellent we think your portrait of ‘Queen Mary’—in ‘Unknown to History’—and not less so—perhaps even more so, in the ‘Cameos’ where no fancy portrait flits across the mirror you have held up to that sad true history.
There is however a portrait, fancy or otherwise, in the possession of a brother-in-law of mine, which would interest you.3 I do not know how long it has been in his old castle, or in possession of his old family; but it represents (in life sized kit-kat) a lady like Queen Mary yet not her holding a coronet in one hand, a crucifix in the other, & wearing a nun’s veil lightly over her head, as far as I remember. The tradition goes that this represents your heroine Cicily, but also that she lived and died a nun in France. The lady is both sweet and dignified. When are you coming to Scotland? Lady Mother always hopes that you will, someday.4
Excuse haste & believe me yrs truly,
E.J. Oswald