My dear Mrs. Norsworthy, I must write a few lines to thank you for your account of my dear old friend, who, I feel, is lying in the land of Beulah, though broken by these times of distress. It was something the same with good old Judge Patteson, father of the Bishop. He had a throat complaint that he knew must bring final choking. And when it had very nearly come, as he revived, he said, ... continue reading

My dear Miss Walker Did people in 1800 think as much about war as we do? In fact I think they had a respite then, while the Peace of Amiens prevailed. I knew the old Dean of Winchester who had been at a levee of the First Consul in that year with Sir James Mackintosh. I made my niece look at him (the Dean) he was 90, by way of making a link

I have ... continue reading

Dear Lady Brandreth, I hope in time to accomplish meeting you and conferring about the G F S affairs!

I have never had the specimen packet, not having been the Branch associate for Literature. I think Miss Stanford has it for Winchester Country and Miss Carey for the City

Yours sincerely C.M. Yonge

Dear Mrs Belfield The precious mittens are safely come - it is a very curious genealogy for them - They are exactly like some little lace mittens of the 17th century figured in Mrs Earle’s ‘Child Life in Colonial days’

Madam Cromwell must been Elizabeth daughter of Richard who died at 83 in 1741 - Her mother, who was Dorothy Major of Hursley died in 1675 - so the mittens could not have been sent to her ... continue reading

Dear Mrs Drew, I am almost certain that the Little Duke and the Lances of Lynwood are published in chapter form for school children’s reading and our schoolmistress told us she had seen Kenneth advertised as abridged for School reading - I know Arnold wrote to me for permission and I told him he might use it, if he could arrange with Parker of Oxford, who published it when I knew nothing of arrangements. Macmillan has ... continue reading

My dear C C Your paper on Novels is excellent, I only got it yesterday, as our paper boy is a blunderer. The three ladies are capital and the letting off the colourless novels without principles at all is quite true, and to the point. Miss Blackburne wrote me an account of her Authors club, I should not like to have such a thing to manage. Miss Cholmondely is the head I ... continue reading

My dear C C I wonder whether you are snowed up There were six inches of snow outside the verandah this morning and the untrodden snow is a beautiful sight as long as one has not to tread it, and is not gasping for the newspaper. I hope it is keeping the daffodils safe under it for you. Two days ago, I gathered some snow drops, and saw the noses of some of the ... continue reading

Dear Madam After having exhibited the mittens to various very respectful admirers and waiting in vain for my Cousin to come and see them last week I have decided on sending them to her registered and I am sure she will carefully return them in a short time with many many thanks for the privilege.

Yours thankfully C.M. Yonge

My dear C C I shall be very glad to see you on the 16th and I hope you come back again with the news of the meeting as I am told you can stay on with me a little while longer. I hope you will sharpend up my wits a little about my missionary lad, who I mean to have the divine afflatus but I am almost afraid the history of his home preventions ... continue reading

My dear C C The world seems wild with joy and flags from every window house! Maurice says traffic was stopped in London by people waving flags and shaking hands. I suppose there will be a culminating in a great illumination when it is over. Well, I shall be very glad of you on the 15th I shall like to have the benefit of the lectures, but I am afraid [[cmybook:250]my young ... continue reading

My dear Mary I am out in the drawing room again but no farther till the wind changes, and the cough departs, but Helen is coming to look after me on Monday, and Miss Finlaison has done so most kindly. By the by I never have had a headache all through so I don’t know how she came to [illegible] it- I hope Sydney is better - Augusta has begun to write letters ... continue reading

Dear Miss Faithfull I am sorry you had such an ungrateful return for your kindness but I have not yet proceeded into the outer air, and am only picking up the neglected tangles that were left.

I am very much obliged for the photographs. Little Eustacie as ever comes out the best

Yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dear Mary I hope Sydney is as much better as I am, I believe I should be well if the East wind would mitigate itself, but we had showers of snow yesterday, and more looks possible today. Helen has been so good as to come down and look after me as her mother has Mrs Mansfield (Georgina Halliday) staying with her Her husband is an army doctor, and ordered out – and ... continue reading

My dear Mary You will like to hear that Maurice and Maude have had tea with Jane Moore in her hufet at Aldershot, which Maude says is exceedingly pretty, but they are having very hard work for 40000 men are expected at Aldershot altogether, and it generally holds 15000 and those regular soldiers whereas all these have little notion of more than a summer diversion and are very hard to bring into discipline- I do ... continue reading

My dear Mary Edmund Morshead has just been here, and we informed him of his new cousin. It did take me by surprise and reminded me of a lady in one of Miss Ingelow’s books who says her niece had babies with lightening [sic] rapidity- It is much for Sydney to have this nursing on her hands just after her own illness I have been out today and hope to be quite let loose ... continue reading

My dear C C I imagine you go home tomorrow whereby I send this letter, much wishing you a pleasanter visit next time. I have been let out to have a walk in the garden and to go about the house like a reasonable creature, and I believe the great démenagement is to come off today, only Helen shuts me up and lets me merely sort bills &c - We had the Confirmation ... continue reading

My dear Mary I have just heard from Jane Moore. She is at Ramsgate, where her husband has been sent to get over an attack of bronchitis from 7 hours work at Aldershot! She and I have had a great blow in the sudden loss of Lady Susan Blunt. You know she was the General’s cousin, and the daughter of my mother’s old friend, Lady Nelson We always so enjoyed meeting ... continue reading

My dear Lord Nelson I have been thinking of writing to you ever since I saw this grievous loss in the paper, and Easter eve seems to bear it the more in upon me, for surely no one can be more at peace in the home consecrated by this day than that gentle dutiful spirit. I remember her ever since she was a little thing of four or five years old in her striped frock, and ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Mrs Sewell came to call on Saturday and brought Mrs Brook, who said she was one of your old friends, so we had a talk about you. Henry has been setting up flags and making the children do honour to St George’s day. We are in high spirits about our reports, they are better than ever they have been but there is influenza still about.

Adam Grigson is good but the cult of ... continue reading

My dear Mary That letter came to me with a request that I would forward it to Mr Arthur Yonge whom the writer had met 7 years before in New Zealand, by which I concluded he did not mean Arthur in America and I thought it would just meet him with you, but probably it will find him in time. Poor Annie Woollcombe, the deaths from illness seem sadder than those in battle, and yet ... continue reading

Dear Madam I am much perplexed about the article ‘Want of Confidence’ - I had two so called sent to me, purporting to be condensations of a lecture given at Winchester, one certainly written by Mrs Field. When it appeare[d] a gentleman wrote and claimed it as his own abstract but Mrs Field was able to prove it was hers, and as yours had the same title I am afraid the copy in type must have ... continue reading

My dear C C I have got a letter for M in C from Canon Lias about Red Pottage, highly contrary to yours, and which the Sumners approve He goes on the unfitness of such subjects for women’s writing or reading, and certainly I should have thought ‘incline mine heart to keep this law’ went against either inventing or making people read them and so do you- At least I recognize you as ... continue reading

My dear C C No, you did not send me a notice of Red Pottage I am thankful you did not for that and Canon Lias would have been enough to tear M in C to pieces. However he thinks too much fuss is made about the MS in the brother’s house. Do you remember Edna Lyall subscribing to Bradlaugh from Canon Crowfoot’s house at Lincoln

But I think people with Consciences ought to ... continue reading

My dear C C I am glad of the 26th but I thought GFS stuck to the 24th & 29th. However it is all the better for me and the roses will be in their glory. The snow balls and may will be gone but no doubt you have them where you are. I wonder if Fanny Patteson will turn up any time. I throught she had, when Edith announced Miss ... continue reading

Dear Miss Walker Thank you for writing to tell me of the fate of the letters, I am afraid such has often befallen the like when they descend to a generation too young to care for them and not wishing for the encumbrance. I have a screen worked in that way by my mother, but I think almost all my other possessions of the kind have worn out.

Mr Hobart Hampden has his eldest sister Sarah ... continue reading

My dear C C I hope the melting process has slackened and will not be heated up again next week. It really was overpowering weather, and the thunder storms seem to have been awful. They did not come very near, but cooled us. I have just been informed by a school child that a lady was at Church on Sunday who wishes to make acquaintance with me ‘She is a poetess, and has been ... continue reading

My dear C C There is much to rejoice in in that SW line, poppies meandering streams and all, and Oliver was capable of a welcome. Tory disposed of three young mice yesterday (What would the Puritan have done to him?) I thought of sending them to the Eastleigh bazaar tomorrow, but they are still too young - Alethea is come home and had a hayfield party yes on Saturday Her ... continue reading

My dear CC Tory is banished, Juliette fell in love with him, so he is gone to Witham Chase, a very good home for him, and Vic is left lamenting – The mother mews all over the place but as she did before Tory went, I think it is from native accidie, not maternal grief- Aimée brought Miss Price to tea and sent Juliette, a little friend and a sort of semi governess to ... continue reading

My dear CC Poor Queen Margarita This to be added to all the other dreadful things that are going on. Letting off an anarchist just encourages the rest.

Annie Cazenove’s long time of watching and perplexity is over, her mother died suddenly at last in her sleep. I wonder what Annie will do, now she is free, very well off I believe. I wonder how your discordant element will settle down ... continue reading

My dear C C Does not your paper want something more of practical application, not that I quite see how it is to be done. Maud and Lily are capitally described, but the upshot is that a nice girl does not like to be mixed up with them- also that mothers should be exhorted to keep girls nice – and mistresses to take care whom they take.

Would be possible to bring it more to a ... continue reading

Dear Mrs Lennard I did not write because I knew of no one who would respond to your plan, Are you going back to your old quarters?

I do not know Mr Arnold’s address. My nephew saw him at Lowestoft, where he was going to open an hotel! He has married a cousin of his wife’s

Miss Finlaison is at Preston for her holidays with her nieces, the Jenners, whose mother died this spring. They are in the ... continue reading

My dear C C Do you know that Innes’s stock has been taken by Ward & Lock? I heard it second hand from a lady who has been enquiring after her goods. I suppose you had the letter asking creditors to accept 5 per cent. I asked what was become of the remains of what was half mine and half theirs and was told that Tanner did not know. I think we ... continue reading

My dear C C I hope the change will be a success. I did not know there had to be so long an interval, I do not remember it here, but as it was between old friends there might have been some arrangement. Wells Gardiner will not reprint ‘Forget me not’. I wonder whether I ought to try SPCK, they took Mary Bramston’s FL story last year - I don’t think Macmillan ... continue reading

My dear C C So you are to have a new Bishop, I am glad Lord Salisbury is there to have the choosing of him. Our elections have gone off quietly, and our neighbour of Cranbury is at the head of the poll at Southampton. Winchester is not settled yet, but for the county no one opposes old Mr Beach, who I believe is the father of the House The Mallocks are ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik It was like old times to see your writing again. I have no doubt that it is right about Forget me nots but I see so many stories advertised even before they are really finished in their serials that I thought it was time to see about the matter. In fact it is a ‘goody story’ only about school mistresses and quite short. I think it might in time be ... continue reading

My dear C C By all means-

My people sail on the 26th I think Mrs Woollcombe stays till Novr 1 and Lottie does not come till the end of the month Mary Morshead comes to do her African lectures on Mondays She has just given her first and you will come in for the two last-

I had a very interesting East London parson to entertain on Sunday week, a Huguenot who had ... continue reading

My dear C C Oliver’s name was an augury of his dominion over the Commonwealth of Cheyne, by a mixture of violence and flexibleness If the puppy had been a King Charles the parallel would be complete, and now you must resign yourself to being ruled over by the Major Generals, as long as the wandering mania does not carry him off. I like the Irish Christmas story very much. Henley Arden ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Packe Thank you for the sight of the letters, it looks so like the old old times. And certainly those were days when there was no ‘looking over the wall’ in contrast to these when one may ‘steal a horse’ Do you know what has become of that window? Perhaps you have it I suppose the poor old Bishop was in a regular panic, assisted by his Grace’s wife. ... continue reading