There seems so much to do here, and with an old mind like mine, it is difficult to take in fresh impressions.

My dear Cousin, I must not leave your letter of last October without an instalment of an answer, though this is only a chance opportunity of sending letters by a whaler, and I have only ten minutes.

Your account of the Southampton Congress is a regular picture. I think I can see the Bishops of Winton, Sarum, and Oxon; and all that you say by way of comment on what is going on in the Church at ... continue reading

My dear Miss Bourne Gertrude is very thankful for the snowdrops and much pleased. Yes, Frances is still about, and at this moment I have Florence Wilford here, she has been nearly killed with nursing the two old ladies at St Cross, and is here now collecting a little strength, I hope, I do not quite know for how long. I seem to have all visiting disorganized this year, and now some evening Wednesday ... continue reading

My dear Miss Sewell, Would you mind my changing the time of your proposed session to the later day you had fixed. I am asked to spend a day or two at Mr Portal’s to meet the Bishop on the 10th, and that is a thing I should like so much to do that I venture to ask you to change the day. The week after I go to Miss Dyson.

I think you said ... continue reading

My dear Arthur Arianwen means silver lady. She was a Welsh saint and the name has never quite died out in Wales, so I suppose the girl has Welsh belongings of some sort. Arian rhod a silver bow is the rain bow, who scares away spirits of wrath there is a charming bit about her in old Davis’s Celtic researches which nobody believes now. Alas! Macmillan took advice about the School room magazine ... continue reading

My dear Emily, An odd question, but can you tell me what Edward first taught himself on the violin? I want Lance Underwood to do it, and must mention some tune . . .

My dear Mr West I shall be delighted to see you and any of your party on Saturday. I hope we shall look to as much advantage as we are doing on this May day of the poets – The Hursley services are at 10 AM and 7 PM on Saturdays, ours at 9 AM and 5 PM – rather impracticable hours I fear as regards Hursley. Will you come to luncheon, which can be at ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Johns Thank you for your kind note. The second part of the little book is already half way printed - so I hope it will be ready the time the first is finished.

I believe I am going to London on Monday week, and shall be away for about a month, unless indeed the scarlatina in the parish spreads so as to prevent my going; and then I am afraid it would be equally ... continue reading

All right. M sends them to me for nothing. You shall have them. Has he sent you the Scripture Readings

C M Y

My dear Miss Wordsworth, Sometimes one meets with a thing like an echo to one’s own thought (only that one’s thought did not set it going) and your Versailles poem strikes me just in that way. I saw the place on a bright August day in 1869, and it was quite an oppression to me. Those two Trianons both built to escape from the horrible dreary pomp when royalty had made it unbearable told ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Valentine, I think this is a very good time to bring forward the Story of the Crawl and your pretty ballad shall come in July. I am sorry it is too late for June.

I am glad you are going to have another annual but I am afraid I am so busy that I have not a scrap available. But I do wish very much that you could persuade Mr Warne to take those ... continue reading

My dear Edith I should not think Miss Adams could have any objection to your girl. She has one now whose father is Miss Sturges Bourne's bailiff, and her mother a ladys maid, the girl is refined and more naturally ladylike looking than any of the others, but the sound is not much superior to yours. I am going from home on Monday for a month but it can all be settled with ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

I think you should poke up Strahan, though I fancy he is very tiresome about MSS. I hope you have a copy – Goosedom is very poor this time, all the best being busy or going travelling Frog is gone to Ammergau

your affectionate Mother Goose

My dear Edith I have thought much of you, you may be sure, in the great sorrow and loss that has come to you - in your Soldier of the Cross having passed the narrow stream

What a grand and beautiful thing it is that the needs and the down treading of the Church should have the power to awaken the latent power and heroism in men's souls. How little anything but a Divine faith could ... continue reading

Dear Madam, The Daisy Chain cot in which I am specially interested is in the Belgravian Children’s Hospital 1 Cumberland Street Belgrave Square Anything addressed to Miss Munro - at this direction, for the inmates will be gratefully accepted The Children’s Hospital at Great Ormond Street has two Aunt Judy cots which seem to be always well supplied

With many thanks yours truly C M Yonge

A little girl from this place was for two months ... continue reading

My dear Miss Wordsworth Can you help me in a difficulty? It is one I could have once taken to Mr Keble and seen looked at once out in his Hebrew Bible, but now I have no one within reach whom I like to ask so well as you. It is about Amos III-7-9 There in the Bible you see the word Lord, when standing with the plumb line is in the small lettering, ... continue reading

My dear M. Guizot Thank you most heartily for so kindly remembering to send me the continuation of your history of France. It is quite a visible token of the cessation of the saddest of the time - and of the recovery of activity. The numbers are quite right, I have them up to the 17th

With many thanks yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dear Christabel, The Humberts are very nice people, Florence Wilford is very fond of them and he was an immense comfort to the two old ladies. He was the making of St Cross, as first Master after the reformation there, and did an immense deal both for the Church and parish, but when his wife got softening on the brain, he lost his delight and love in the place and became anxious to get away ... continue reading

My dear Pixie

Goosedom will be very glad of Miss Agnes Acland. I believe I first missed seeing her at Oxford but I have often heard of her. I enclose a sheet of rules, and will tell Double Daisy to send her the questions.

your faithful Mother Goose

Tell Miss Acland to choose her Gosling name

My dear Miss Sewell I think I can make room for your two papers in November and December, having pretty well got over what choked me up at the beginning of the month.

I ought to have written before and I am sorry I did not.

Yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dear Christabel Good luck to you in your new work! I had various things to write to you about Will you send a list of the Goslings to

Miss Margaret Macmillan The Elms Streatham Tooting

I think I told you I have promised to make her a Gosling though she is rather too young. Who is the next to ask questions - will you send her a reminder to send them to me to choose from, and ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Goslings do multiply overmuch, but I cannot refuse to make a two headed one, like Double daisy out of these two damsels of Miss Keary’s about whom I send her letter. Will you send them the Gosling list, and standing orders I am sending them the rules. Who asks questions next – none have come to me to choose from for December- and it is January that is the holiday.

I ... continue reading

My dear Christabel I see no reason against a Barnacle if you have time to edit it. I am afraid I have not, but I think it would be a very pleasant renewal and very good for Goosedom. I shall be very glad of your last century story, with the proviso

Patience cousin and shuffle the cards. which would not be a bad proverb to write on.

Mrs Johns is well again I was at Winton ... continue reading

I have little hope of a contradiction; it is the same island where they martyred the two boys before, and no one ever set his face more as a flint to meet whatever might come than he did. Once before it nearly happened. How one must pray that this blood may be the seed of the Church! The last I had heard was of a grand, crowning success ... continue reading

My dear Miss Bramston I shall have much pleasure in dining with you next Thursday It is lucky the lectures are over today, or it would not have been easy to manage it

yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dearest Fanny, Somehow I did not feel as if I could write to you before I heard from May how you and Joan were, and till I had in a measure realised the crush to one's feelings on the one side, and the glorious crown upon the other.

There was something in the set-apart life, and the freedom from all our common heats and strifes and turmoils that seemed to remove him into the world ... continue reading

Dear Mrs Dampier

All good thanks and wishes. Happy you. Poor Mrs Jones Bateman. Lloyd is rejoicing to go. She is gone from home unable to stay alone

Yours affectionately C M Yonge

My dear Miss Cassell I find it will be convenient to Goosedom generally and it certainly will be so to its Mother if the answers wait to the end of January, so I have desired Chelsea China to send home a note to that effect. The last answers were unluckily lost in the frost when I sent them off to her, and as she had gone to Hanwell we did not at once discover the loss. ... continue reading

I tremble to say that I am going to write his life, and I am probably going to Lichfield to talk it over with the Selwyns and Abrahams. It is very awful, for it is embalming the Saint for the Church. I hope the Bishop will let me have copies of the letters to him.

My dear Marianne I have had a beautiful letter from Lady Martin, which I think you must see as well as Mrs. Moberly's equally beautiful comment on it. The palm and the white garment and the crystal sea seem to come like music back in answer to the 'Who knows' in the Lyra Innocentium! I have been living in it a great deal with the Wilsons who were at the Park, their hearts ... continue reading