My dear Alice, I was thinking of sending ‘The Mice at Play’ to Maggie, but somehow I felt that the note must be to one who could remember the old days, when the three bright faces it brings to mind were with us. If you had been people who shrank from such recollections instead of cherishing them, I would of course never have disinterred this old affair, but I know you will like the recurrence to ... continue reading

My dear Miss Peard, There is a part of it in which I think perhaps you would be so kind as to help. We are trying to bring in accounts of that troublesome contemporary time of the history of each country, that have not got into books so as to enable ‘our readers’ to know what is going on. Now Mr. Church has done Greece, Poland is in good hands, and Miss Roberts, I believe, does ... continue reading

My dear Christabel I hope you have the Barnacle by this time. It was to set off on the 2nd having been detained to have sufficient time for pressing. Thanks for your answers which are the first to come for that set of questions, and so serve as the next egg. I think you must be very sorry to leave St Marks and its beautiful services. I am afraid you cannot hope to equal them any ... continue reading

My dear Florence,

Many thanks to you and your friend for your kindness about the pantomime. I am sorry however to say that I do not think it will quite do. I suppose it is the sort of thing to be done not so much by a regular narrative of the scenes as by some clever sketch such as perhaps takes an older hand. I hope it will not be a disappointment, but I think from ... continue reading

Dear Sir,

I found the other day that Messrs Longman’s delay in transferring my books to you was rendering it difficult for the retail booksellers to procure them - I therefore wrote to them a day or two ago to urge on the completion of the arrangements and I hope you may soon be able to let me know that this has been done.

How soon do you think it would be advisable to begin printing the ... continue reading

Dear Madam,

I have got all your books now from Messrs Longmans & have been distributing the enclosed circular through the booksellers all over the country, so there ought now to be no uncertainty or difficulty on the part of any bookseller getting your books. But it may be a little time before all chance of misunderstanding ceases. We are advertising your books together as widely & well as we can.

I think it would be as ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge I will see whether we can find some one who would do a few vigorous outlines for the little Duke. Something like those to Kingsleys Heroes. Reproductions of foreign books are not generally successful.

We send the Daisy Chain to press today

I am very glad indeed that you take to our idea. It would do admirable [sic] for a Christmas book. I think you have quite caught the idea I had & I think ... continue reading

My dear Mr Moor The prizes I should like to propose would be - First Shew Best copy book by a school boy Knife

by a school girl Writing case

Second 25 sorts of wildflowers rightly labelled with English names by a school child Book on Flowers

Best set of samples of needle work by a school girl - consisting of hemming sewing stitching felling marking darning 5s 2nd Best --- 1s

I dont think it any use to propose the like in the autumn because there are few flowers, and work ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan

Herewith I send enough of the Trial for the printer to proceed with at once. I have erased all the redundancies I could find, and I hope it may thus become less cumbrous - Unless there is some difficulty I suppose there is no need of sending me proofs. Mr Parker wrote to me himself to recommend Phelps who printed the History of Christian Names and as there were a good many letters ... continue reading

My dear Mr Moor I think it will be much better to throw the prizes open to the whole schools [sic]; it is so discouraging and troublesome to be put out of the competition, and everyone has not a garden who has children at school

My mother says she meant her prizes instead of the home prize - of course they would chiefly concern the first - not the second - if all the extraparochial people are ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan

Besides what I sent on Monday and the 63 pp I am sending by this days post, there are 380 pp of the Trial in type in the Monthly Packet, and in MS what I should think would make about 45 or 50 more.

I am writing to Mrs Blackburn about her drawings

Yours faithfully C. M. Yonge

Dear Mr Macmillan,

I enclose what Mrs Blackburn says in answer to my question about the drawings for the Little Duke - Will you tell me what you think of the matter? I suppose she might improve some of the faces, but I think it is quite open to you to find some other designer. I shall send tomorrow another parcel of the Trial

Yours faithfully C.M. Yonge

Dear Dr Neale,

I enclose postage stamps for the paper taken up by the Honolulu letters. Pray thank Sister Anne for her kind note to me acknowledging the pin cushions.

yours faithfully C M Yonge

Dear Mr Macmillan

I am not certain whether it was mentioned that sheets of the Trial were to be sent to Messrs Williams and Norgate to be forwarded to M. Tauchnitz. He has just written to me to ask for them which makes me mention it.

I send the chapters of The Trial, all but the three last, which shall follow in a week or fortnight.

Yours faithfully C. M. Yonge

Dear Mr Macmillan,

I am sorry to trouble you again, but will you kindly tell me how to answer the letter from Mrs Blackburn about the Illustrations to the Little Duke, which I sent about ten days ago - You see she says it must be settled quickly as she is going abroad

Yours faithfully ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith

I have certainly made a mess! The fact was this, that two or three years ago, I made a great appeal to get more pay than the 2/6, and the result was a sum sufficient to give at the rate of about /6 per page more to some one article in the number, but not to all. I have no doubt that I then told you I could give you 3/ per ... continue reading

My dear Miss Barlow It is a very difficult question to answer. As far as my knowledge of publishers goes, the fate of a MS chiefly depends on what they have occasion for at the time, and there is nothing for it but to try them all round, beginning perhaps with Masters. I really do not know what else is to be done

yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dear Miss Yonge I suppose you would like to have the 'Trial' stereotyped. This can be done now at nearly the same cost as the Composition would be hereafter. For readjusting the page and having stereotype plate cast the expense would be £68. I do not know how you have arranged the matter on former occasions. But I suppose that you would probably prefer to purchase the plates and have them as your own property.

The ... continue reading

My dear Mr Macmillan, I suppose the Trial ought to be stereotyped that it may stand on the same footing with the other books. In all the former cases I have been at the whole expense of printing, paper, binding &c, and have thus had all the profits, except the commission on the sales - I think the arrangement with regard to the Trial was that I was to receive £200 for 2,000 copies; I conclude ... continue reading

My dear Miss Palmer I am ashamed of not having thanked you sooner for the statement C M S which is a great help to me, being very clear though of course very sad. I think Mr Gorst’s book must be soon coming, and then I shall dash into my subject - I was going to say like Captain Dodd at the pirate, for I have just been reading that wonderful chapter of Hard Cash. Have ... continue reading

My dear Kittiwake I am glad you are meditating a flight to us, but will you let it be on Monday the 14th this day week. I want the skies to clear up a little, as I hope you will allow time enough for a walk to see our daffodil copse of which we are rather proud, and which will gain by the week’s delay.

Do not be deceived into turning into the wrong house for ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge .

What you received is an original drawing - not a proof. I am glad you like it so far. I want to reproduce it by the photolithographic process which is at once cheap and accurate. The artist is a very promising young man who is almost self taught & who has done some charming oil[sic]. He wanted to try his hand on book illustrations, and this seemed a good chance for him, if ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, I sent the drawing by the train yesterday. It was very dull of me not to have seen that it was a drawing. Our only other criticism is that a touch or two might make the little Duke’s limbs more child like.

As a matter of fact I believe the Normans did not wear beards, but I only found this out long after the book was out, so book and beard must both stand ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith, I have been waiting to answer you till I had read far enough on in your storyx to be able to judge, and now being within a quire and a half of the end, I think I can do so. I think the history of the elder Juliet very original and excellent and I like that about young Josie very much likewise, she is a very winning buoyant creature, but indeed I ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith I did not write yesterday as I had to go to Winchester, and besides my sister in law had not quite finished reading the M S. The part about Horace’s marriage I do like, and the softening, but I am very sorry you adhere to the early part - especially his father’s repeated wishes for his death. If you could only hear the horror of my mother and my sister in law ... continue reading

My dear Miss Twining, I am sending off your acknowledgements today, but I am much afraid they will not be in time for the next packet, if not they must appear in June, and I hope may by that time be added to as I am sure your paper must excite great interest

Yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dear Cousin, I returned on the 24th from Australia. I visited the dioceses of Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Everywhere I met with great encouragement; and indeed, I thank God that (as I had hoped) the special work of the Mission became the means of exciting unusual interest in the work of the Church generally. It was a great opportunity, a great privilege in the crowded meetings to tell people face to face their duties, ... continue reading

My dear Charlotte, 1. The charge of Forgery may be received, & the person accused committed by any Magistrate before whom he is brought, without reference to the place where it is said to have been committed

2. The Handwriting may be disproved by any person acquainted with the genuine handwriting.

3 The trial may take place in any county in which the Person shall be apprehended, or shall be in custody.

Therefore Mr Grey may receive the ... continue reading

Dear Mr Furnivall, I do not think I quite know what ought to be the rule about the news and the nons. I meant to have asked you but somehow missed doing so. My own notion would have been only to put those as words - (in the case of new) which could not be explained by simple disintegration -- as for instance new-birth for regeneration, but not new born, when simply meaning lately born. But ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, I should be much obliged if you would send a copy of the Trial to M. Guizot’s daughter

Madame de Witt Val Richer Lisieux Calvados France

as she wishes to translate the book. I believe I sent before the list of copies that I should like to have sent out. I hope the book will appear soon now

Yours faithfully C.M. Yonge

Dear Miss Yonge We have at length got the Trial ready. I am afraid you will think we have been somewhat dilatory, which indeed has been the case. Our printer has been busy, and it was somewhat hard to keep him moving with due speed. You will I hope be satisfied with the result as regards the look [illegible] and I think it comes out at a favourable time. We sold about 1200 to start with. ... continue reading

I cannot but feel sorry that the Central African Mission is given up, though I am most willing to believe that it was unavoidable. How often, when it was started, have I heard my good and wise master say, ‘I feel most thankful that some attempt should be made, but I greatly fear some disaster.’ He meant that such expectations had been raised, and so much pressure was applied from behind, that some precipitate action ... continue reading

Miss Yonge would wish the following presentation copies of the Trial to be sent - if they have not already been sent, - she is not certain whether Messrs Macmillan had her list and should wish to guard against any being sent twice over - Copies to be sent to

Miss Coleridge Heaths Court

Care of JD Coleridge Esq 6 Southwark Crescent

also to -

Sir William Heathcote Bart M P 91 Victoria Street

Mrs Pode 3 Craven Place Westbourne Terrace

Miss [[person:1582]Anne ... continue reading

My dear Mr Moor Emily and I have been working away to make a question We suppose our young man to be a blacksmith or bricklayer as he earns such good wages. But if there is anything impossible or foolish or if you think it well to make it either more or less complicated, please to correct it

Supposing a young man to earn two and sixpence per day except Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday, and ... continue reading

I have been entreated to send Dr. May to cure her [Ermine], but I think that would be past even his capacities!

There is no heart

breaking about him [the Colonel]; with Rachel, she had made up her mind to immolate her affections at the shrine of her asylum before she found out that she was in no danger. Now I believe in her.

Dear Miss Yonge I enclose a list of the presentation copies we have sent out. Including those to the Press. I dont know whether there are any other papers that you have been in the habit of having your books sent to. I will send any you suggest gladly.

I am sorry that your parcel went by a route that is inconvenient to you. We will remember again when we have any thing to send.

We will advertise ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan,

There is one more copy of the Trial that I should like to have sent to the Press - i.e., to Events of the Month, Mozley’s, 6 Paternoster Row - it is a sort of school room Athenaeum which I wish to help forward

Thanks for your note. I hope nothing will prevent my meeting Mrs D Macmillan and I shall be glad to talk over your scheme, and see if it comes within ... continue reading

My dear Madam, I send herewith a copy of Heartsease leaves, but I am afraid I must ask you to return it. I had some copies once sold for a bazaar, but they are all gone now, except one or two for home consumption of which I send one.

I am glad that the Christian names gave you any amusement

Yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dear Miss Sewell I have quite vanity enough to feel flattered, as long as I am out of the way of looking foolish - and the photograph will be a pleasant possession. I shall keep the M to stick under it. I wish they had found you out at Turin, for it would have been a very pleasant experience i.e. when it was over. I have written you a note for shew as well as ... continue reading

[empty envelope]

Dear Mr Macmillan Many thanks for your note, and its enclosure.

A French translation of Karamsin would suit me quite as well as an English one. I could make out a German one, but I am a poor German scholar, and take much longer to work at anything in that tongue. However if French cannot be had, I should of course be much obliged for a German version.

Thanks also about Lotty’s adventure. I am nearly sure ... continue reading

Dear Mr Furnivall, Thanks for your enclosure I hope to make use of it when I get home, but just at present we are wanderers, very decided wanderers at this moment for I am writing at a little station on the Great Northern having missed our train by two minutes, so that we have the pleasure of waiting for three hours before we can get on to Peterborough and Ely. I hope to be at home ... continue reading

My dear Sir,

Your paper on Bridge Bracing has not come to hand. I am rather hesitant whether Mr Masson has any article on American affairs for the September number. If he has not I will ask him to see whether yours wd suit him. You know he is the chief who has authority. I shall be very glad if it does.

In the mean time I tell you that the paper has not reached ... continue reading

Miss Yonge is much obliged to Miss Birley for her kindness in sending her the translation of Salverte’s book on names, for which she had much wished. She regrets that her absence from home has prevented her from seeing the book or acknowledging its receipt before, but if Miss Birley will kindly send the second volume by post, it will be taken care of till Miss Yonge’s arrival at home, when she will have much ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge I am very sorry to have missed you when you called today.

I will take my chance of finding you at Mr Gibbs tomorrow between 12 & 1 & will bring the MS which is at the printer with me.

After much searching my clerk, whom I sent to Piles Coffee House could not recover the story about the little girl I wonder if you will be able to find it

Karamsin has been translated ... continue reading

My dear Miss Longueville Thank you for writing to tell me about Miss Bridges. I had since heard that there was more chance of room at Clewer than at East Grinstead and was thinking of writing to tell you so, but if the decline is so speedy, perhaps there will be more comfort in living alone with a good Sister, and I believe the nursing [and] kindness are most perfect. Poor things how sad it is! ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, We are still constantly reminded by our own condition of the nursery tale of the old woman whose rope -rope would not hang butcher - butcher would not kill ox, &c &c, only unluckily the last link in the chain does not stop at 'I shall not get home tonight', but as long as plasterer will not plaster stairs and stairs can’t be gone up &c, &c, I cannot finish Golden Deeds!

I can ... continue reading

Miss Yonge would be much obliged if Messrs Macmillan would send a copy of each of her works to the Vnble Archdeacon Badnell Care of H J Dunell Esq 4 Upper Hyde Park Gardens W

Dear Mr Macmillan, We are at home at last and in three days more I hope to send up the copy for the printer of all the ancient history Golden Deeds. Of course he will let me have the proofs. I hope the delay will not prove to have been of consequence. Are there to be any vignettes to the chapters, if there are, there is a story of the Coliseum which quite asks for one ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge We shall be very glad indeed to see the Deeds become words in print. I meant to have no illustrations except the vignette which I have had in my other Golden Treasury books. This has been 'exercising' me a good deal of late. I cannot hit on either the sort of subject or the man to do it. I would be most grateful to you for a hint. I am inclined to send ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan The first instalment of Golden Deeds shall start tomorrow - it is all ready except one extract.

About the engraving. If a merely typical one, I think a figure rushing between some prostrate form and receiving a murderer’s stroke would express the spirit of the whole.

The individual scenes that seem to tell their story best, and to express the whole in one would be such as Sir Philip Sidney rejecting the water - Horatius ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan Herewith are the first division of Deeds. I will put a short preface before the introductory chapter I have sent. There are some bits to touched up in the proofs - i.e. the scenery of the Decius story - and of the 'the Chief of the Arverni'. I shall get at my books better in another week, but I will not delay longer.

Also I wrote in the stock gladiator lines (which hackneyed as ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, The lamp is decidedly a bright thought. I will add a bit about Miss Nightingale to the introduction to bring it in appropriately.

Yours very truly C. M. Yonge

Dear Miss Yonge

There are three aspects of [illegible] Miss Bonham Carter, not [illegible] is the artist. I saw it in his studio and concluded it was his own. Of course we can only engrave one of the three. I think unquestionably the one looking to the right.

Please tell me how you like it

Yours ever truly A. Macmillan

Dear Mr Macmillan, I think of these three photographs the one in profile is prettiest, the full faced decidedly not good, but the third the most characteristic, and the position of the hand comes out the best.

The more I look at it the better I like it and see the superiority to the other two.

Here is a proof where I have added more than I hope to have to add to future ones. Shall I send ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, Will you kindly give me your advice on this letter? It is written to friend of mine at Philadelphia who seeing my 'Clever Woman of the Family' was about to appear in parts in 'the Living Age' wrote to enquire about it. This is Mr Littell’s answer.

I should tell you that Appleton gave me £25 for each of my larger books till the war, when he said he did not get profit enough ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge I will confess to being about as much in doubt of what can be, or ought to be done with the Americans as it is possible for a man to be. I have got for Mr Kingsley £50 to £75, but since the war we have not got a penny for anything.

If the Living Age will give you anything for advanced sheets I certainly would be inclined to take it. Appletons ... continue reading

Sir, I am inclined to think that your purpose would best by answered by SW’s Manuals on the Prayerbook, which have been written to enable scholars to prepare for competition for the Bishop of Exeter’s Prize. They, however, are only on parts of the Prayer book. There are also easy questions, going through the Prayerbook in recent volumes of the Monthly Paper, I think the 3d and 4th but am not sure.

Yours faithfully C M Yonge

Both are ... continue reading

My dear Mr Macmillan, The Clever Woman of the Family as far as she goes will be sent you in a day or two from a friend who had had her to read.

The illustrations are decidedly not successful and I should not wish to perpetuate them. They are not half so good as what Miss Keary’s young cousin does.

There is about a fourth more of the story to come.

I have nearly finished the Golden Deeds, but ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, I should prefer keeping the Clever Woman uniform with the other tales, as I think a good many people have a set of them, to which they would add it. And I should be scolded by half my friends for coming out in the 3 vol shape!

I am glad the Trial has done well. I see you are advertising a cheap edition. What are to be the terms for it.

I have this morning ... continue reading

My dear Mr Moor I am sorry to say that I had sent the £600 a year question away, but I think you may safely assume that the clergyman lives in the country, and has a house, and glebe - and that the three sons are of an age to be educated - I cannot get at the propounder of the question, or I would have asked her

With many thanks Yours sincerely C M Yonge

Dear Miss Yonge We shall deal with the Clever Woman as we did with the Trial as you wish it. Will it be safe to begin printing it or will you prefer waiting till we are a little further on. If we cannot publish before the end of November it would be better to wait till February.

We will be very glad to have all the copy for the golden Deeds. The little extra will not matter. ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, I am afraid the Clever Woman cannot come out till March, as Hogg gives me no hope of finishing her before that time—so it would be hardly worth while to begin printing her till the beginning of the year.

I have sent all the rest of the Golden Deeds direct to the printers, they will end with Dr. Kane.

Yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dear Mrs Johns, Would you please be so kind as to send this note on to Miss Keary, as I do not know her direction. I have been reproaching myself with forgetting to thank you for lending us the Early Egyptian history which we have just finished and hope to return at the first opportunity. It is delightfully written and it is wonderful how she carries us through such an unpromising period by her imaginative ... continue reading

Dear Sir, I am much obliged for all your kind observations upon the Christian Names, a work which I know it was very presumptuous in me to undertake, with so little real knowledge as I possess of more than general principles and a few scattered details.

I am glad you exonerate the original thief from being a robber. I went upon the authority of the late Professor Munch of Christiana, who gave me much kind help. I ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith I so seldom see the paper that I did not know that this greatest sorrow that can befall one’s unmarried life had come upon you. It takes me back at once to ten years ago when I was tasting the same cup, and strangely enough there was the same connection between the sorrow and my first real success. How you must feel the change & the sorrow for others as well as ... continue reading

My dear Mr Cox [sic], I dare say you will be so kind as to give me a morning in a Bodleian den some day next week -

Would you be so kind as to order for me anything you can find about Maximilian I of Germany - and about the city of Ulm in his time - I want as much anecdote and scenery as I can lay my hands on, wishing to represent him cutting ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan If you think this preface will do, please send it to the printer.

I thought some acknowledgment of the sources was due -- and some hint too of what is less authenticated.

I have wound up with a suggestion about penny readings, as I think the book might be useful for it, but if this is not advisable it may come out.

From Monday to Saturday of next week we shall be staying with the ... continue reading

Madam I was in hopes of being able to tell you of such a training ship as you desire, knowing that there was one under the management in part of a Mr Chambers, an excellent Churchman but I find that is a Reformatory Ship and that I suppose would hardly be what you wish, but if you would like further enquiries to be made, I could procure Mr Chambers address.

Yours truly C M Yonge (Ed M P)

Dear Mr Macmillan, I send both title page and the proof of the statuette, which is indeed most beautiful and suggestive. I wrote yesterday about the title page. I could not do so before as I only came home late on Saturday and the Sunday post goes early. I enclose the list of presentation copies

Yours sincerely C M Yonge

Will you be kind enough to send the sheets of the Golden Deeds to Messrs Williams & Norgate for ... continue reading

My dear Mr Moor Time vanished away suddenly from me yesterday, or I should not have missed thanking you for the division of the Income, which will be an excellent standard for the unpractical young ladies, some of whom I fear have been answering the question but I shall get theirs on the 25th

Mamma has been comparing your scale with our own, and finding we exactly agree in coals & wages and not at all in ... continue reading

My dear Hannah

At last I have got the direction you wished for - it is after all where it was and the address should be to

The Committee 32 Southampton Street Strand

I think they ought to make their advertisements clearer and better known, and I believe the clergyman who used to manage it is dead, and that his wife is as much in want as any she used to interest herself about, but that the organisation is ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, I send the second chapter of the Dove because I hardly think the first can be long enough for one of your numbers.

Christina does marry the young baron secretly but most of the adventures concern her sons.

I shall be well pleased with the terms you propose, if the story will answer the purpose.

I sent off one last chapter to the Golden Deeds yesterday

Yours very truly C. M. Yonge

Dear Mr Macmillan Please to let me correct two things in the list of presentation copies of the Golden Deeds

Yours sincerely C M Yonge

Miss Margaret Lonsdale 28 Westbourne Terrace W

Miss Charlotte Fursdon Fursdon Cadbury Tiverton

My dear Mrs Gatty, In haste, with all the proofs on my hands, and going out to tea - here are the sonnets - I left out the first as being holy day, rather than Sunday, and belonging to next year’s series

Please let them go straight to Mozley’s and I should be glad of more for February.

I hope you are not overwhelmed with M. Macé in his second volume, I am sure the work must be ... continue reading

My dear Mr Macmillan, You once said you would be kind enough to put me in the way of getting any out of the way books. Would you be so kind as to get these sent for for [sic] me - except the second in the list. It is the list from Freytag, and I must confess to finding the German M S too difficult to attempt to write out an order for an English bookseller. ... continue reading

My dear Miss Smith I do not know any more about the cheque. I wrote my own name on the back as it was to order, and I thought that was the right thing to do. The last was drawn upon Saunders and Otley who I believe are Indian agents, but I suppose that a banker would either cash it or tell one how to manage it, but Mrs Elphinstone’s letter only said what you see.

Thank ... continue reading