My clever woman, instead of living alone as she intended when you were here, has had a flirtation with three magazines, and is at present engaged to Hogg’s Churchman’s Family Magazine if she can agree to settlements.

My dear Miss Peard,

I am so sorry I did not come to the full perception of what I had done till I got home, but I was stupid enough when at Puslinch to take your St. Sebastian for your Book of Joshua, and pack it and send it off with the Monthly Paper things, and then I took (or fear I took) Joshua for a letter and made away with it. At least I cannot ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith

At last I have made out that last year’s blunder was that one short chapter of 8 pages was entirely missed over in the counting. This half year there are 76 pp, for which the amount is naturally £9. 10- the pound added from last time makes it £10.. 10- and the slight margin Mr Mozley now allows for our good contributors enables me to make it £12.. 10- for which I ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith

Many thanks for the first sight of my dear friends the Franklyns how attractive Bell’s pretty paper makes them. I will take care they go safely tomorrow on their long voyage, but I am afraid it is quite too late for a notice of them in the forthcoming Packet I take shame to myself for not have remembered that Mutterchen was neuter in the time of the M S and now ... continue reading

My dear Cousin,

The ‘Southern Cross’ arrived safely this morning. Thanks to God!

What it is to us even you can hardly tell; I know not how to pour out my thankfulness. She seems admirably adapted for the work. Mr. Tilly’s report of her performance is most satisfactory: safe, fast, steers well, and very manageable. Internal arrangements very good; after cabin too luxurious, but then that may be wanted for sick folk, and as it is luxurious, ... continue reading

My dear Irene

Many thanks for your sister’s pretty little poem. I daresay it took great effect at your tea drinking. How much more beautiful Aytoun’s is than Tennyson’s and what a glorious day that was! I could see the bridal train rush by on the LSW, and hear the guns fired at Southampton. Our squire gave beef and beer to each family at home, and there was a grand bonfire on the hill

Thank you so ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith,

I have at length obtained the account for the Biographies and am glad to be able to send you the enclosed as your share of the proceeds. Your account of the Procession was in time, and is going in this month with an Illumination story of the last time London was in a blaze.

After this week please to add Elderfield before Otterbourn [sic] in our address. It is a cottage in the ... continue reading

My dear Miss Peard

It is very kind of you and exceedingly inviting - the Sphinxes especially, but just at this moment my mother and I are moving into a cottage - as my brother’s family is outgrowing this house, where I have lived the 39 years of my life - and we are in such difficulties how to stow away our belongings, especially in the way of pictures that we are really afraid to increase ... continue reading

My dear Maggie

What a great day to have your birthday upon. You cannot look to many returns of Holy Thursday upon it, so this will be all the more to remember, but I wish you many, many more happy returns. Thank you and Mamma for your curl. I shall have quite enough now I send you one of the brooches made to a pattern of Mary Queen of Scots which I saw at Edinburgh ... continue reading

I find most people grumble at Leonard’s not being hung, but I mean to make much more of him.

My dear Aunt Judy, I am glad that you are not thinking of crossing today—for assuredly you would never cross, and I hope the winds and waves may have abated by this day week, when it will be very pleasant to meet you at Bishopstoke, and look forward to the whole of the next day. May it be a fine one! We will take you to Winchester any time you please on the 31st, and make ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Hooper

I do not think Miss Gilbert’s Instution [sic] quite calculates on such work as this good lady proposes - it does not seem as if it would take much teaching to tear up paper!, however here is her letter and here are her stamps at your disposal, I think Maggie would have wider ideas! I hope your little people are quite well again. I must tell you a story rather in their ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith,

I am half afraid of plunging into a tour because I have got so many on hand, that Eastern journal is indeed printed to the end, but I cannot get it in, and the Journal in Holland lingers on, and I have some Italian letters that I grieve not to have got in, so on the whole I think I had better decline yours, though if I had not been so ‘furred ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith

In great haste, I enclose £10 for this half year’s Thorne

yours sincerely

C M Yonge

Sir,

Some time ago you were kind enough to mention, in a letter to Mrs Austin, the life of Madam de Montagu as one that would be very desirable among the ‘biographies of good women’ that I have been attempting to collect for the improvement of young girls; I have ventured to desire my publisher to send you a copy of the first series that you may see at what I have aimed; I am now ... continue reading

My dear Anne

I thought perhaps you would let me send you this little locket, as I am sure you must be putting some of the dear hair which you would be keeping. I bought it yesterday in a shop between Cadogan place and St Pauls Knightsbridge, that part of London that seems to have the remembrance of another world so strong upon it. It was very nice going to the cool quiet Church, so ... continue reading

Dear Madam The scene of the Heir of Redclyffe is imaginary but I had Clovelly in my mind when describing the bay

yours truly C M Yonge

My own dear Anne

I don’t know how to write or how to think, it all came in one together for your letter of the 20th had been round to James and then home, and it was a note from Mary Coleridge, written on the 23d that told the reality and the first thing I had opened was a note from poor Johnnie all about his botanical prize and Domum. Oh those boys - one knows ... continue reading

My dear Anne,

A few lines I must write before we go – Your letter this morning told us much more than we had had before but it was so sad yesterday getting both together the letters written in the fluctuations. We shall be only one day’s post away now, and that really induces Mamma to go on to St Dunstans. Otherwise we should like to have staid [sic] in this kind quiet place. Those boys ... continue reading

My dear Anne,

Thank you much and indeed for your letter which told so much that we wanted to know. I had not been able to gather what you had been doing, nor how it had come to you, and now uncle Yonge has written the most beautiful account to Mamma, of the last hours, so that we understand far better the closing in and extinction of hope upon them all. And oh! that beautiful ... continue reading

My dear Anne,

How strangely sorrows have thickened on the family. Poor Delia Oldfield, she seems so especially desolate in her helplessness. I am glad Francis Yonge was with her, he must be more able to comfort her than any one else, and now that he has no call to other duties or any other home, he can best be with her. We were at Emsworth barely a month ago, and have certainly liked the General ... continue reading

My dear Cousin,

This date, from this place, will surprise you. We returned yesterday, after a short voyage of only three months. I had arranged my plans for a long voyage, hoping to revisit all our known islands, and that more than once. We sailed to Norfolk Island, thence at once to Mota. I spent two days there, and left the Rev. L. Pritt in charge of the station; Mr. Palmer being with him and the ... continue reading

Dear Mr Furnivall

Thanks for the list of needs of the letter B. I had been making the like, but found the wants so constantly supplied from the overflowings of your pigeon holes that I grew lazy and desisted.

The printer at Winchester charges 7/6 per 1000 for the titles he prints for us on show paper, and we have had 4000 - which have chiefly been used by my mother, as I have generally taken mine ... continue reading

My dear Francis,

Here is a new stamp just issued in Philadelphia for carrying letters from one part of the city to the other, I suppose a successor to our old friend Blood. I conclude you have not got it, but if you have one, please return this, as my stamp office has four clients, of whom you always have the first turn, as the original one - I wish you had all been at the ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith

Here are two chapters to make up for the having missed one out last time. I was obliged to do so, for I had the wrong proof with me when I was from home, and had to wait till I could get at the proof of the first.

I believe I told you of our change of house. Our direction now is Elderfield, Otterbourn, [sic] Winchester

yours sincerely

C M Yonge

My dear Mr Raikes,

I am very sorry to have been so long answering your note. I have been from home, and have come back into a great confusion, and much that is trying. I believe I can quite manage without a chapter of yours this time, so I hope you will not hurry yourself to let me have one before the 18th of October.

In much haste and confusion,

Yours sincerely

C M Yonge

Sir,

Mr Furnival has forwarded to me your proposal of dealing with me for my tale of the Clever Woman of the Family as a book - I should be obliged if you would let me know your terms for publishing on commission; and like wise if in case of such an arrangement being practicable, whether you would take charge of my works that have been hitherto in Mr Parker’s hands - All have been published ... continue reading

Madam, I shall have much pleasure in undertaking the publication of your new tale 'The Clever Woman of the Family' either on commission or otherwise. The terms for publishing on commission are I believe uniform among publishers. The whole of the publication expenses, such as printing, paper, binding, and advertsing are charged to the author; and a commission of 10 per cent on the sale is charged by the publisher when he renders his accounts. This ... continue reading

Sir,

I am obliged for your letter of the 9th. The MS of the Clever Woman of the Family is not sufficiently forward for the calculations for printing to be made yet. I have however a tale called 'the Trial' which has been coming out in the Monthly Packet, where it will be completed in the early spring when I should wish to bring it out, but it ought to be uniform with the 'Daisy Chain' ... continue reading

Sir,

The Revd Dr Littledale has encouraged me to send you the book that I hope may arrive by the same mail as this letter, namely the History of Christian names, in the hope that you will kindly point out and correct the errors in the portion upon Cymric names, which I know are done with much greater disadvantages than those which have been elucidated by more modern authorities than I could obtain for the Welsh. ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith

I have kept your French journal a terrible time, and I am sorry to say I cannot get it in after all. It is rather too much trodden ground, and even you cannot make it new enough. I think you will soon get a huge piece of the Banks of the Thorne to finish them with the year if possible, and then we begin on our new principles. I hope the enclosed ... continue reading

Sir,

I am sorry you had so much trouble about the Trial. I was only waiting to send it to you till I heard whether you thought it worth while to look at it so long before hand. I now send it by this post. There are six more chapters not yet in type of about the length of these, but I hope that the last of them will appear on the 1st of March or ... continue reading

Sir, I have now heard from Messrs Longman, so that I can proceed in the matter on which I wrote to you some weeks since.

I should be obliged if you would let me know whether you would undertake my works hitherto in Messrs Parker’s hands, namely

The Heir of Redclyffe

Heartsease

Daisy Chain

Dynevor Terrace

Hopes and Fears

Little Duke

Lances of Lynwood

Marie Theresè of Lamourous

The Young Stepmother

the stock and stereotypes being transferred to you. All these have been hitherto on commission, ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith

I hope you will forgive me for leaving out a few bits of the Thorne in order to squeeze the rest into this year. I enclose what was omitted in case you wish to restore it to the book as a whole though I think the present opinion is that the story wants abridging. I have put what is for the M P in one parcel, what is returned to you in ... continue reading

Dear Madam,

We shall have much pleasure in taking the stock of your books under our charge and publishing them for you on commission. When we have had a little experience of them and how they sell now, we shall be better able to advise and suggest something definite with regard to cheap editions or the like.

The Trial we calculate could be got into 2 nice crown 8vo volumes selling at 12/-. We will give £200 ... continue reading

Sir,

I am obliged for your letter of the 23d, and the terms you propose. My brother will be in town next week, and will call on you to make the arrangements on any day after Tuesday. Perhaps you would be good enough to send me a line saying on which day he would be most sure of finding you at home. He would be with you at any hour of the morning you would ... continue reading

Dear Madam, I am almost certain to be free any day next week, and shall be glad to see your brother any time from 11 till 5 that he may mention. The only chance is I may be called to Oxford one day next week & do not in the least know which day. So if your brother would kind[ly] name one, with another as an alternative, I will let him know the moment I learn ... continue reading

Dear Sir,

My brother will call on you on Wednesday morning, the 2nd, unless he should hear from you to the contrary. His address is J.B. Yonge Esq

9 Montague Place

Bryanston Square.

I have just heard that there are 50 copies of the Lances of Lynwood ordered, and that there are none in stock.

I think a new edition should be put in hand at once, it is a childs book, with designs by Mrs Blackburn ... continue reading

Dear Mr Wodehouse

I shall be delighted to see another story of Miss Gordon’s. I am in hopes that her icelandic one will appear in the Packet in February or March, and indeed I was thinking of writing to ask where she was that I might send her the proofs, it is indeed a long time since we have met, and as my brother and sister have gone out and left us their cavalry, we are ... continue reading

My dear Henrietta

You have indeed had much sorrow during these two years, and you must be feeling it deeply, a kind aunt is such a treasure in ones life. It has been a strange year of death – the same post brought me tidings of the death of a little godson of mine who had long been hovering between life and death from the remains of scarlet fever, - his little sister two years ... continue reading

My dear Henrietta

You have a very nice set of questions this time and I think the best to choose among them will be the distinguished Christian characters of Milan, and the monuments, but I think you should call them sepulchral monuments, as I suppose you mean only those that mark the actual place of the remains - as I imagine you don’t wish to include the Monument par excellence. I think you may allot four ... continue reading

Dearest Jay Thank you – here are a few hardly worth it

Your affec C M Yonge