My dear Emma

I know nothing about Miss Butt, I suppose she has not vanished from the face of Creation as she sent me a rather foolish little book the other day called Lads and Lasses, but without any letter or clue to her whereabouts, so I think she had better be simply disregarded till we hear of her again. I cannot recollect what was the Concatenation that introduced her. I am very angry ... continue reading

Dear Mrs Greene

It is very prettily described but I am afraid the revulsion of feeling is too painful so I think I had better not accept it.

The Copyright of your stories remains with you, and you are quite welcome to publish them separately

yours truly C M Yonge

My dear Mary,

So the dear old Sir John Coleridge is gone, except Aunt Jane, I suppose [paper torn off]

[the reverse reads]

the most conscientious of natures, and all throughout guarded and raised by his deep religiousness I always think the tender

Dear Mr Craik

Could you give me any idea what is the value of my copy rights, I do not mean that I want to part with them, but it would be convenient to me to know what is likely to be the full value of my property, and what I could raise by them in case of need

Yours truly C M Yonge

My dear Augusta

Certainly one is grateful to Miss Goodrich for being the cause of a letter. I have had a very long cold, chiefly irritation of the windpipe, which drove me away at last to Salisbury and Rownhams to get rid of it, and now it is nearly gone though I am still obliged to take more care than is convenient in the beginning of Lent. I had some very pleasant days last week ... continue reading

My dear Miss Sewell,

There is only one chapter of Heartsease a conversation. It was privately printed twice, and now people are always asking for it, so I am going to put it into the June Monthly Packet though I do not think it is at all worth all the curiosity about it

The publisher sent me Miss Owen’s book just in time for me to answer a person who wrote to enquire whether the chapters were ... continue reading

My dear Mary,

Mary Woollcombe tells us that Alethea Hickes has mentioned some of the reports that have been going about as to Julian’s troubles, so I think I had better tell you all. I was very near doing so on Saturday evening only I thought I would wait for the great settlement.

I fancy speculation is strong in our nature and from joining in a cooperative company when coals were so dear Julian came on ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Thanks for the estimate of the copyrights, which is a good deal what I expected, as I thought they must be more valuable to me than to anyone else.

I cannot think what Clay is about. A month ago he wrote to me in a great hurry for more copy of the Cameos saying you wanted the third volume finished, I sent him up at once all but the last two or three chapters ... continue reading

My dear Mary

Thank you much for your letter. It is curious that Mary Woollcombe should have found the report going, but I think no one likes to speak to any of you of gossip concerning any of the family. As to the measure of the loss we do not fathom it yet, it is so mixed up with all sorts of things and people, as I suppose those things are. It is ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

Pretty well all I could pick up about those four Portuguese brothers is in a cameo. They must have been splendid people particularly Enrique and they had a curious resemblance to their first cousins - Henry IV’s sons – You know ‘The Constant Prince’ is the name of a play of Calderon’s about him but I don’t think that would help you much. There is a translation either by Abp Trench ... continue reading

My dear Mary

A great deal seems to have happened since I wrote to you last, but before I tell you about Oxford, I must come to what is uppermost in my mind, about Julian’s affairs. He fully expected a compromise to have been made which would not have brought such difficulty, but that has failed, and there is the whole debt of the company, about £12,000 come upon the 5 directors – of whom ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Harrison

A great many thanks for the exceedingly nice frame, and all the arrangements for setting up the collects. I waited to thank you till they actually appeared so that I might acknowledge them at the same time. They are very nice and I am sure they will be a great pleasure to many, and help out many a Sunday

yours affectionately C M Yonge

My dear Mary

All thanks for your letter, I think matters are looking better and that something less than £2000 will clear it all, but we cannot be sure till after the 24th, at any rate Julian is in much better spirits about it. Maurice must have gone to school any way, so that is the least part of the trouble, and I do not think Anne Parnell much to be regretted for she had ... continue reading

which he was convicted he has had two years imprisonment & hard labour and to be watched by the police for 5 years more.

The learned say the Easter moon is right at the place which fixes for all the world. It was not full before noon which is the time they count from. You see if the full moon as it is in each place were reckoned some countries would ... continue reading

My dear Mary

I know you will be wishing to know about us, but I am afraid there is nothing very cheering to tell except that I think the worse must have come to the worst. The five banks that were creditors would not take any compromise though they were offered more than Julian’s proper share of the deficit but it seems that by the law each single director can be made responsible for the ... continue reading

Dear Madam

I am much obliged for your gift of the ‘Names on the Gates of Pearl’ - I am already a great admirer of it, and introduced it to Miss Mackenzie (the sister of the late Bishop of Zululand and editor of the Net, and she has sent it to some of her Missionary friends I will do what more I can for I am sure it ought to be known.

yours truly C M ... continue reading

My dear Mary,

I did not like to write to you all this time because we were in a a great state of uncertainty. However Julian got a letter yesterday from the ‘liquidator’ to say that the creditors will take £2000 now and £500 six months hence which will cover everything, and is much better than at one time we expected I do think it is a comfort ones fears go too far for ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Elgie

Many thanks for this dear little note. I always did think your Girls most thoroughly good and conscientious, and I think their love of home is the best and happiest thing for the place and people. I wonder when those lawyers will finish off and let you take possession. I hope it is all right about Helena Dugay

your affectionate C M Yonge

Dear Madam

Will you kindly send the advertisement with six stamps direct to the publisher as these requests are managed by him

yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dear Mary

I hoped to be able to tell you by this time that Julian was quite free and had had his discharge but though the money is paid, the forms take a long time owing to the wearisomeness of lawyers however all the real trouble is over now. I do not think it has every been in any but the Hampshire papers which had a kind little paragraph about a Gentleman much respected

Fancy ... continue reading

My dear Mary

Many thanks for this letter. I suppose the congestion is the great danger now, but youth does so much that I cannot help still hoping and with all the suffering it is not so sad as poor Mr Chamberlayne’s state, for this creeping paralysis has now mastered both arms, so that he can not even point to letters and spell words but he takes food, and his pulse is stronger, and they ... continue reading

My dear Mary

I am with Miss Sturges Bourne till Saturday and then poor Mildred has written of the sad end of their anxieties, a letter direct from Beatrice came after, with more hope in it; so I suppose the poor boy must have sunk in one of those fits of suffocation. It is very sad, and will half kill poor Mrs Morshead, who seems to have been able to do so much less ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge,

At last I have found a few moments for my regular work. Between Archaeological Meetings and Servians I have had not time for any NB. As to Servians and Bulgarians, can't you give us a good word in your Monthly Packet? I am gathering pretty considerably; but we want help in every quarter, and we want Turks, Jews and such as abet them to be barred in every ... continue reading

My dear Miss Bramston,

I have an urgent appeal sent through the Freemans of Somerleaze for warm garments for the poor refugee Servians

Miss Johnstone, 10 Ovington Gardens SW is going out again to Herzegovina on that day, and begs for money, serge blankets or any thing warm for the poor creatures

Perhaps you saw the account in the Cornhill, 3 months ago They will not be able to go on coming to that sort of school unless ... continue reading

Dear Miss Johnstone

I send you a cheque which has come to me this morning. The sender of it - Miss Sturges Bourne suggests that if you embark from Southampton, Edwin Jones, High Street, would make up a parcel to your order of ready made things to meet you but I dare say you have plenty of the kind of shop to supply you. I am going to send one of your papers to ... continue reading

My dear Miss Butler

It is very kind of you and Mrs Butler but I believe Miss Mackenzie is likely to come to me immediately after Lownie’s visit, and as there have been some difficulties about her coming before I could not put it off again.

This is a hurried day so I must only write my thanks

Yours sincerely C M Yonge

Dear Sir

I would be glad to make use of your pages to explain to children and parents the system of Sunday school tickets, which some younger ones seem not to understand properly. The ticket is made the reward for a special lesson repeated by heart or a fixed number of answers in writing to questions because these are better tests of diligence than answering aloud which may depend only on quickness and readiness. But some ... continue reading