chapters in the little Pink magazine. You may be interested to hear that when my brother was in camp at Madyn, he saw the Legionary Ants in the act of stealing their slaves, and found the neighbourhood of the nest of the negro ants strewed with the bodies of the slain. He had a praying mantis for some time in his tent which devoured 18 flies in an hour, I think its name ... continue reading

I was thinking of the Southey and Scott controversy, and wondering if the self-consciousness of the men had anything to do with the personality of their heroes, whether Sir Walter went any deeper into himself than into the rest of mankind, and whether Southey from looking at the outside of himself con amore did not get inside of other humans too. I always do think it a strange thing how one can care so ... continue reading

Sir Guy Morville has just arrived at Hollywell, and Charles does not know whether to like him or not. I have got hard into the beginning now, but I believe some work at the Landmarks  will be very wholesome for him. You know his first confession of love was made at a time when all was going smoothly, and I should think the consciousness of the doom was not at ... continue reading

My dear Driver The first thing I did when I opened your letter this morning was to laugh, it was so exactly what I had been thinking about before I was up, as far as regards Guy's character, for what I had been planning was to make the encounter with Martyn happen at Oxford, whither Martyn has volunteered to go to hunt up the supposed debts of Guy's. I mean Guy to have hazel eyes ... continue reading

[no salutation] I have taken a sheet of paper and turned my dramatis personæ loose upon it to see how they will behave; at present the part of Hamlet is left out, that is to say, they have only got a letter from Guy announcing his grandfather's death. I find that Philip is greatly inclined to be sententious and that Charles likes to tease him by laughing at him, and mimicking his way of saying ... continue reading

My dear Maggie This ought to have been your birthday but printers are slow folk, and I am a hurried one at this moment, so no more can you have now but good wishes from

your affectionate godmother

My Dear M. A. O that the sky of the Church was as clear as the sky above our heads, and how, as they always do, yesterday's Christian Year seemed to chime in with the thoughts that must sadden one even in this most glorious weather, as we thought last night when the full moon was shining so gloriously in the midst of the sky, and the elm-tree making such a beautiful shadow on the ... continue reading

You really must beg, borrow or steal something to help me. After this winter I shall get on better, but there are The Two Guardians and the Landmarks of History to finish before I can feel really at ease in giving my mind to this affair. I am rather afraid of spoiling the Landmarks by getting into a hurry. If you can send me something, I think we could meet the ... continue reading

My dear Alice, Would George mind being the Colonel? He is never on the stage with Edmund, and a cloak and blue scarf would turn him into a Roundhead. I do not see what else is to be done, for altering the part now would spoil the dinner scene. I am glad you are not more perfect in your parts. I say mine every evening when I am going to bed, but I cannot ... continue reading