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Elderfield
Decr 9th [1898]

MS Mrs Clare Roels/75

My dear C C
Poor dear Sophy, she has been a heavy weight on many minds from the time of Pena’s death, in a remarkable way considering the clever, able woman she was.1 I heard of her release, for such it was from Mary Yonge who wanted much, as well as Charlotte to come to the funeral, but happily the two witheld each other, in the fogs and the rain and the wet grass, so it was a very good thing they prevented each other-

I am glad Fanny was there. You have a splendid possession, according to this advt. Mine is only seven volumes. Here is an entertaining letter from Margaret; what storms!

I think SS Agnes and Margaret were rather RC saints for Irish to swallow and I would eliminate Hope Carlyon if possible She seems to me in SPCK to be of a very low order of sense.2 The Elf is a very beautiful idea, though practically I doubt a birth deformed person being so amiable, I think the temper is generally astray and no wonder. Yes, it is a good number for Christmas. La Belle Louise is a charming story, and the Household Emergency capital- the others, even FMP’s, very fair commonplace- but it is very good altogether.3 Cupid is getting better, but had not been dressed when last we heard of him, it was really a sharp attack, and it was well he had his Granny.

I have written a thing for the G L, on the century and am asked to write one for the Girls’ Realm

A Girls’ ExperimentRTS is really good for either degree of girl. The Whipping boy Wells Gardner is also good. Mary Bramston thinks it possible for Elementary RU

your affte
C M Yonge

1Sophia (Coleridge) Martyn (d. 1898) was the mother of Paulina Martyn ‘Pena’ (1843-1887), one of the founder Goslings. She was a first cousin of Mary Coleridge and Fanny Patteson.
2This sentence evidently refers to a review article, perhaps 'Book Notes' MP (December 1898) 715-6, which mentions approvingly The Whipping-Boy. Hope Carlyon was the author of a number of works including The Great Storm: A Tale for Mother’s Meetings (London, SPCK 1897).
3MP (Christmas 1898) included the 'Elf: The Christmas Number Prize Story'; an anonymous story called 'La Belle Louise'; Nora Kilnorth, 'A Household Emergency'; and Frances Mary Peard, 'The Man in India'.
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/3388/to-christabel-rose-coleridge-27

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