MS Westcountry Studies Library, Exeter/ 1859/13¹

My dear Miss Smith,
If I had not been very busy yesterday I should then have written to welcome your offer of sending me your story to read. We should like to have it very much, but as I shall be from home next week, would you be so kind as not to send it till Christmas Eve? Then I shall hope to begin it on the Monday. I daresay its destination will depend a good deal on the success of Aggesden. Mudie’s order sounds promising. I did my best yesterday to encourage him by not offering to lend my own to a visitor, but desiring her to order it of him. She has a ‘Johnnie’ in her own family, and I fear without the same chance of full recovery as his suffering is constitutional not from an accident. I do hope the book will turn out well, and help you to the pedestal on which to stand. I am glad to hear Paul’s true love is to run smooth, but we are all speculating what you mean to do with poor Hetty

yours sincerely
C M Yonge